Wait begins for James Webb Space Telescope DART footage

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission slammed into an asteroid moonlet Monday (Sept. 26) to test a planetary defense technique that could redirect a future large asteroid on a collision course with Earth. The James Webb Space Telescope was among the observatories watching, and footage will flow back from it in the coming weeks.

Scientists have also been talking about Webb’s ability to peer much further back in time, very close to the formation of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago. The telescope’s infrared light is perfect for examining ancient stars and galaxies.

James Webb Space Telescope’s ultracold camera has a glitch

The James Webb Space Telescope‘s Mid-Infrared Instrument’s (MIRI) grating wheel is experiencing a problem affecting some observations. The wheel, which allows selection between light wavelengths, is used in only one of MIRI‘s four observation modes. You can read more about the glitch and NASA’s efforts for a deep-space fix here.

Webb’s past observations have delivered a huge range of science in recent days. An incredible image of Neptune’s rings and moons has been hailed as one of the best of a generation. Fresh atmospheric images of Mars are delivering new insights, and scientists are gaining information about exoplanets after Webb’s alien planet investigation.

Astronomers may be getting Webb Space Telescope exoplanet measurements wrong

Astronomers may be misinterpreting James Webb Space Telescope‘s measurements of exoplanet atmospheres “by an order of magnitude”, a new study suggests. 

The telescope’s ambitious mission in deep space includes taking measurements of the chemical compositions of the intriguing stars, galaxies and nebulas it sees, like these fresh images of baby stars in the Orion Nebula released earlier this week.

To assist with exoplanet work, telescope scientists use complex models for interpretation. But a new study by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), found that these models lack the accuracy to showcase Webb’s nuances.

Full story: Astronomers may be getting Webb Space Telescope exoplanet measurements wrong

Webb finds an exoplanet and observes a nebula

The James Webb Space Telescope‘s discoveries continue to span the universe.

The deep-space observatory observed an exoplanet with evidence of silicate-rich clouds; the brown dwarf is nearly 20 times the size of Jupiter. The brown dwarf is called VHS 1256 b and orbits two small red dwarf stars, 72 light-years from Earth.

Webb’s sensitive instruments also revealed unprecedented detail in a gas cloud called Doradus 30, initially nicknamed Tarantula for its spider-like appearance. The Tarantula Nebula is located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud and is the brightest star-forming region in our neighborhood aside from our own Milky Way.

Meanwhile, astronomers are fighting disinformation and pseudoscience suggesting that Webb disproved the Big Bang. Spoiler alert: not correct.

James Webb Space Telescope snags first direct image of planet, mysterious rings

Only weeks into its operational phase, the James Webb Space Telescope continues to make history.

The deep-space telescope caught its first direct image of another alien world. The planet is roughly 385 light-years from Earth and looks like a splotch beside the store HIP 65426. Webb saw the exoplanet using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which each look at different wavelengths of infrared light.

Scientists are also trying to figure out strange concentric rings around a faraway star, called WR140. The image was released on Twitter (opens in new tab) by citizen scientist Judy Schmidt. The ripples around the star are not perfectly circular and are puzzling to scientists.

New gems from the James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope data continues to stun. 

In an early science result, astronomers used the observatory to detect carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet. It’s the first time scientists have confirmed that particular chemical’s presence.

And multimedia whizzes have begun digging into imagery from the observatory. First, a new video compares views of the “Phantom Galaxy” from JWST and the Hubble Space Telescope. Then, experts have sonified the iconic Carina Nebula photo from the observatory’s first science-quality images, turning it into music.

Jupiter’s auroras and early galaxies glow in Webb imagery

Incredible images of Jupiter and its auroras shine in fresh new images from the James Webb Space Telescope created by citizen scientist Judy Schmidt, based on Webb data. By the way, if you want to create Webb images of your own, we have an up-to-date editing guide with Schmidt that discusses the tools, techniques and how to make the right choices. You can do all of this for free using a generic computer.

Meanwhile, scientists released a gobsmacking new mosaic image from Webb showcasing distant galaxies whose light shifted into infrared (from visible) light. Coming from an era nicknamed Epoch 1, this image comes from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS) (opens in new tab) and will likely push forward more study.

Exoplanets will be among the pioneering investigations of the James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists hope that the telescope will shed light on hot Jupiter exoplanet atmospheres with molten rain, hurling vaporized rock or crystals from up high.

“On Earth, a lot of these minerals are jewels,” Tiffany Kataria, who is an exoplanetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement (opens in new tab). “A geologist would study them as rocks on Earth, but they can form clouds on exoplanets. That’s pretty wild.”

Read more: James Webb Space Telescope will seek clouds of vaporized gems on exoplanets

James Webb Space Telescope stunning video and engineering solutions

Whip through the universe on a new video tour by NASA’s deep-space telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope collaboration released a “Star Wars” video tour zooming in to land upon a spectacular galaxy, called the Cartwheel Galaxy. It’s an intriguing look at starbirth, including near a supermassive black hole.

Meanwhile, engineers talked about the new technologies they used to build Webb to test out things never done in space before. Northrop Grumman (the prime contractor) and others did groundbreaking engineering to get the telescope working in deep space.

James Webb Space Telescope ‘photo’ just a chorizo

A physicist pulled a prank on Twitter last week showcasing a photo from the James Webb Space Telescope, which ended up being a chorizo.

The scientist Étienne Klein, director of France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, shared the purported James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) photo on July 31. But after Klein’s photo went viral, he clarified the image was not from Webb. Instead, it was a slice of the Spanish sausage chorizo.

Read more: Scientist admits ‘space telescope’ photo is actually chorizo in tasty Twitter prank

James Webb Space Telescope breaking records again

The James Webb Space Telescope has just barely started operations, but is breaking records and performing intriguing observations in its first few weeks.

One week after the James Webb Space Telescope released the first science images, astronomers detected galaxies at redshift 13, equating to about 300 million years after the Big Bang. Not long after, intriguing new results suggests astronomers are blasting past that metric with possible detections up to redshift 20. If confirmed, those galaxies are quite early, as they were in existence just 200 million years after the Big Bang.

Webb then turned its attention to the most distant star, called Earendel, after a character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” prequel “The Silmarillion.” The star’s light took about 12.9 billion years to reach Earth and is now visible in a bit more detail than previous imaging from a Hubble Space Telescope deep field image.

Webb also observed a wheel-shaped galaxy, called the Cartwheel, showing unprecedented detail in the galaxy‘s structure. Using infrared light, Webb detected individual stars within the galaxy’s star-forming regions, and more young star clusters surrounding the galaxy’s central supermassive black hole. These zones are full of dust and best visible in infrared light, which can peer through that.

The science scramble is in full swing!

Just weeks into its tenure, the James Webb Space Telescope is keeping scientists and space fans busy.

The astronomy community’s preprint server, arXiv.org, has seen a host of new papers analyzing JWST data. One particularly hot topic is the search for ever-more-distant galaxies: The observatory is now beating its own records, spotting galaxies that we may be seeing just 200 to 300 million years after the Big Bang.

Other scientists are looking ahead to what the observatory will be able to uncover about supermassive black holes.

Meanwhile, amateur image processors are digging into early observations, turning data into works of art, like a spiraling galaxy that looks like a wormhole. And for those more inclined to snail mail than high-tech image analysis, the U.S. Postal Service has a stellar new stamp on offer.

Breaking records already!

Scientists are already making record-breaking discoveries in data from the James Webb Space Telescope. For example, astronomers have spotted two galaxies that may be the most distant ever seen. If the analysis is confirmed, we are seeing the galaxies as they existed 300 to 400 million years after the Big Bang. Read more>

Micrometeoroid aftermath

A report from the James Webb Space Telescope team published on July 12 includes details about the unexpectedly large micrometeoroid impact the observatory experienced in late May. Of particular interest is an image showing the alignment error remaining after engineering teams adjusted the mirror to compensate. Read more>

Hello, Jupiter!

On Thursday (July 14), NASA released its first images of solar system targets captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. The images show Jupiter, as well as some of its moons and rings.

“I couldn’t believe that we saw everything so clearly, and how bright they were,” Stefanie Milam, Webb’s deputy project scientist for planetary science based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement. “It’s really exciting to think of the capability and opportunity that we have for observing these kinds of objects in our solar system.”

Read more and enjoy additional images>

A first-hand account of Tuesday’s big reveal

While the rest of us settled for watching from home, a lucky audience crowded into an auditorium in Greenbelt, Maryland, to experience the release of the James Webb Space Telescope’s first science-quality images first-hand. Space.com Contributor Rebecca Sohn was one of those attendees, and she shared what it was like to be at the center of the universe. Read her account>

What’s next for Webb?

With the first stunning images unveiled, what comes next for the James Webb Space Telescope? Scientists have promised that more observations will pour out from the mission this week, including the first images of Jupiter, due on Thursday (July 14).

Meanwhile, the telescope is digging into both its early science suite and its first year projects. But scientists are already looking ahead the observatory’s second year, which begins next summer, since the telescope is out-performing the expectations researchers planned this year’s work around. Read more>

And in case you’re catching up, here’s all our coverage so far of yesterday’s image release:

Behold! The James Webb Space Telescope’s stunning 1st science images are here.>
Gallery: James Webb Space Telescope’s 1st photos>
1st James Webb Space Telescope images thrill astronauts, celebs and more>
Science and emotion meet as astronomers respond to 1st images from James Webb Space Telescope>

Webb images on the big screens

Lucky passers-by were treated to quite the spectacle when the first scientific images of the James Webb Space Telescope shone amid the bright lights of Times Square, New York, and Piccadilly Circus, London, on Tuesday (July 12).

The stunning images of Stephan’s Quintet, the striking Southern Ring Nebula (seen here), the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula and the deep field image that was unveiled on Monday (July 11) by President Joe Biden at the White House adorned the streets, gifting city-dwellers a unique view of the cosmos.

Google marks the occasion

Google gets in on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) action with an adorable Google Doodle celebrating the space observatory’s first images.

The doodle (opens in new tab) shows Webb snapping photos of the Stephan’s Quintet, the striking Southern Ring Nebula, the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula and the deep field image that was unveiled yesterday by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at the White House.

Full coverage of Webb’s first images

We’re enjoying a brief pause in the excitement as NASA prepares for a news conference beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT), during which scientists and officials will answer more questions about the newly released images. While we wait, check out our full coverage of today’s reveals! Read more>

Last but not least!

Finally, NASA unveiled a brand new image of the Carina Nebula, a distant, massive cloud of gas and dust where stars are both forming and dying.

“This stunning vista of the cosmic cliff of the Carina Nebula reveals new details about this cosmic nursery,” Amber Straughn, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said. “There’s so much going on here, it’s so beautiful.”

Stephan’s Quintet

Next up from the live reveal: stunning views of what scientists call Stephan’s Quintet, a collection of five galaxies, as seen in both near- and mid-infrared.

“It’s just the beginning,” Mark McCraughrean, an astronomer at the European Space Agency, said. “We’re ready now, this telescope is working fantastically well.”

Check out the Southern Ring!

“When we saw the first color images, we knew that we had a winner,” Karl Gordon, an astronomer at Space Telescope Science Institute, said of the science team’s earliest looks at the James Webb Space Telescope’s data. Here, JWST’s talents are applied to the Southern Ring nebula.

See inside an exoplanet’s atmosphere

Image number 1 of today’s reveals shows the atmosphere of a hot exoplanet called WASP-96 b. Read more here>

Starting soon! Here’s the schedule for the day.

Today’s the day space fans have been waiting for. Here’s what to expect as NASA unveils the first science-quality images from the James Webb Space Telescope:

9:45 a.m. EDT (1345 GMT): Opening remarks from NASA leadership.

10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT): Individual release of each new image.

12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT): NASA officials and scientists will hold a news conference.

You can watch all of these events here at Space.com, and we’ll be sharing live updates throughout the day.

The big reveal of James Webb Space Telescope images is today!

An avalanche of images from the magnificent James Webb Space Telescope is set to be unleashed onto the world today after a taster glimpse into the deepest universe was unveiled on Monday (July 11) by U.S. President Joe Biden.

Scientists and space enthusiasts alike have been virtually star-struck by Webb’s sharp gaze and the plethora of distant objects the telescope revealed. But the best is yet to come during the official image release that is set to commence at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) today (July 12), which you can watch here at Space.com courtesy of NASA.

The space agency has previously hinted which celestial objects space fans can look forward to seeing in these images. On Friday (July 8), the agency announced that the reveal will include views of the Carina and Southern Ring nebulas, as well as Stephan’s Quintet of closely packed galaxies. Also on the agenda is observations of an exoplanet called WASP-96 b, although JWST won’t be offering an image of the distant world. Instead, scientists will share a spectrum of the planet, which splits light by wavelength, offering insight into the chemical composition.

President Biden unveils JWST’s 1st science image

Today (July 11), U.S. President Joe Biden and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson revealed the first science-quality image taken by the agency’s $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. The shot, known as Webb’s First Deep Field, shows an amazingly sharp ultra-deep view of the universe, capturing a galaxy cluster called SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. Read more here>

This is just the beginning for the Webb mission, which is now ready to begin its highly anticipated science mission. NASA will reveal a raft of other science-quality Webb photos during an event on Tuesday morning (July 12). You can watch it here at Space.com. 

Take a video tour of Webb’s first targets

On Friday, NASA released the list of objects that will star in the first science-quality images from the James Webb Space Telescope, which are being released Monday evening and Tuesday morning. Tour them in this video!

President Biden to unveil first Webb image from White House today

President Joe Biden will unveil the first image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Monday July 11, directly from the White House, NASA announced.

You can watch the Monday reveal live here on Space.com at 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) , courtesy of NASA, or directly on NASA TV. 

The Monday release will be the first time the public will get a glimpse of a full-color, science-grade image from the James Webb Space Telescope, the most complex and expensive observatory ever built.

Announced on Sunday, July 10, the event comes less than 24 hours ahead of the main release of the first science-grade images from the observatory, which is scheduled to begin at 9.45 a.m. EDT (1345 GMT).

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson will provide remarks, and the image will simultaneously be released to the public via NASA’s website, NASA said in a statement (opens in new tab).

Previously, the space agency released a series of engineering images that provided a fascinating preview of the potential of the telescope, which images the cosmos in infrared wavelengths and can thus see much more distant objects than the Hubble Space Telescope. 

The engineering images, scientists said, kept exceeding expectation, confirming that after years of delays and cost-overruns, the high-tech observatory is set to live up to the expectations and revolutionize our understanding of the universe.

Here are the subjects of Webb’s first science images

NASA has unveiled a list of celestial objects that will feature in Tuesday’s release of the first science-quality images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. From nebulas to an exoplanet and more, see the full list here>

Surprise! We’ll know more about Webb’s first science photos tomorrow

We’ll know a smidge more about the subjects of the James Webb Space Telescope’s first science-quality images a bit earlier than expected. NASA has decided to release on Friday (July 8) a list of the targets that will be depicted in the observatory’s first data release, scheduled for July 12, according to a statement (opens in new tab).

We’ll be back tomorrow to give you the rundown on that list!

Another stunning preview

It’s another teaser for just how much we have to look forward to on Tuesday (July 12) when NASA unveils the first science-quality images from the James Webb Space Telescope. (Watch live here.) On Wednesday (July 7), NASA released an engineering image taken by the observatory’s Fine Guidance Sensor — not a science tool but an engineering instrument that keeps the telescope pointing properly. Still, the new image is currently the deepest ever view of the universe and promises good things to come from the observatory. Read more>

“This is really only the beginning.”

During a media event held on Wednesday (June 29), scientists hailed the James Webb Space Telescope images that NASA will release on July 12. Agency officials hinted at what some of those images will be, scientists discussed what they hope to learn from the observatory’s early work, and engineers recounted tense moments from the long path to having an operational telescope in space. Read more>

Listen live!

NASA officials will discuss preparations for the first science-quality images from the James Webb Space Telescope during a media teleconference today that you can listen to live beginning at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) in the window above, courtesy of NASA.

Webb’s first instrument is ready for science!

The first of the James Webb Space Telescope’s four instruments has been declared ready for science. The Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph instrument, or NIRISS, is designed to help scientists study the atmospheres of exoplanets, among other science tasks. Read more>

Meanwhile, space fans around the globe are counting down to July 12, when NASA has said it will unveil the first science images from the observatory. You’ll be able to watch the announcement live on Space.com, of course, and stay tuned for more coverage.

Webb suffers first micrometeoroid impacts

The James Webb Space Telescope has suffered its first few micrometeoroid impacts, according to a NASA statement. The observatory has experienced four small impacts as well as one larger strike that hit one of the 18 primary mirror segments. However, the agency said that it does not expect meaningful changes to the timeline for first science-quality images from the mission or to the observatory’s overall scientific legacy. Read more>

Mark your calendars!

NASA has announced that it will unveil the first science-quality images from the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12. We don’t yet know what celestial objects those images will show — but they should be incredible. “These images will be the culmination of decades of dedication, talent, and dreams — but they will also be just the beginning,” Eric Smith, Webb program scientist at NASA, said in a statement. Read more>

Webb tracked an asteroid for the first time

The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully tracked an asteroid, an important testing milestone that proves the observatory can monitor objects within our solar system that appear to be moving quite quickly. Read more>

Webb is in the homestretch of commissioning

NASA offered an update on the commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope on Monday (May 9), which highlighted a test image taken by its Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI. The agency compared the new image, showing part of the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, with one taken by NASA’s previous infrared observatory, the retired Spitzer Space Telescope. Read more>

NASA will update on Webb’s final prep stages

The James Webb Space Telescope is entering its final commissioning phase before beginning science operations this summer. The last phase will focus on testing the instruments aboard the observatory and is expected to take about two months.

NASA personnel will update the public about the telescope’s progress so far and what remains to be done during a news conference on Monday (May 9) at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), which you can watch here on Space.com courtesy of the agency or directly at the agency’s website.

Read more>

Webb is fully aligned and the views are stunning!

The three-month process of aligning the James Webb Space Telescope’s instruments and mirrors is finally complete, according to a NASA statement released today (April 28). The agency shared sample images that, while small, showcase the sharp focus of the instrument and offer a tantalizing look at what’s to come. Read more>

Webb cools down

In a new update, NASA revealed that the James Webb Space Telescope is almost fully-cooled. 

Webb observes in infrared light, which we know best as heat. To make sure its observations aren’t contaminated by any heat from the scope itself, Webb has to be extremely cold. In a new blog post (opens in new tab), NASA shared that the space telescope is very close to its final temperature. 

Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is now cooled to under 7 kelvins (-447 degrees Fahrenheit (-266 degrees Celsius) and so Webb’s instruments are all at their operating temperatures. Now, the scope’s mirrors just need to reach their final cooled-down temperatures. 

Webb meets crucial temperature milestone

The James Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) finally reached the super-cold temperature needed to operate as designed. Because the instrument targets infrared light, which manifests as heat, the instrument must remain under 7 degrees Kelvin, which is equivalent to minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 266 degrees Celsius). And after a complicated, careful cooling process, that milestone has been reached, according to NASA. Read more>

James Webb Space Telescope most heat-sensitive instrument cooling to absolute zero

The James Webb Space Telescope continues to cool down to its operating temperature of minus 369.4 degrees Fahrenheit ( minus 223 degrees Celsius) as it prepares to take its first scientific images of the distant universe this summer. One of the telescope’s four instruments, the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), needs some extra help from a dedicated cryocooler as it needs to get to an even colder temperature of  minus 447 degrees F ( minus 266 degrees C), only 12 degrees F (7 degrees C) above absolute zero, the temperature where the motion of atoms stops.

Just one alignment left

The James Webb Space Telescope has just one step of its seven-phase alignment process left to complete, NASA announced on April 1. The remaining step requires that the observatory’s most heat-sensitive instrument, the mid-infrared instrument or MIRI cool even farther. That should occur in the next few weeks, NASA said, at which point mission personnel can begin calibrating the observatory’s instruments. Read more>

Europe’s Gaia observatory spies James Webb Space Telescope (photo)

Europe’s star-mapping Gaia space observatory managed to snap an image of NASA’s $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope on Feb. 18, when the duo were about 620,000 miles (1 million kilometers) apart, we learned today (March 16).

You can’t see much of Webb — it appears as a faint speck against a field of stars — but spotting the scope at all is a real achievement. Read our full story here.

James Webb Space Telescope notches “fine phasing” alignment milestone

The James Webb Space Telescope keeps checking off boxes on the way toward the start of science operations this summer.

The Webb team has aligned the $10 billion scope’s 18 primary mirror segments and focused them on a single star, NASA officials announced today (March 16). More fine-tuning work remains, but it’s a huge milestone for the mission and for NASA.

“More than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope that anyone has ever put in space and came up with an audacious optical design to meet demanding science goals,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement today. “Today we can say that design is going to deliver.”

Read the ful story here.

NASA promises Wednesday Webb update and new image

NASA will update the public on Wednesday about progress aligning the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror. The golden mirror is made up of 18 hexagonal segments that must be in perfect alignment for the observatory to capture sharp images.

And it sounds like that process is going well: NASA has promised a new image as well. “Participants will share progress made in aligning Webb’s mirrors, resulting in a fully focused image of a single star,” NASA officials wrote in a statement (opens in new tab).

The NASA briefing will begin on Wednesday (March 16) at 12 p.m. EDT (1600 GMT) and you can watch live here at Space.com or directly via the agency’s YouTube. Speakers will include:

• Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
• Lee Feinberg, Webb optical telescope element manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
• Marshall Perrin, Webb deputy telescope scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
• Jane Rigby, Webb operations project scientist, Goddard
• Erin Wolf, Webb program manager, Ball Aerospace in Broomfield, Colorado

Webb telescope to study quasars, Kuiper Belt

As the James Webb Space Telescope continues its checkout tests in deep-space, scientists continue to eagerly await the flood of science discoveries they hope to make with the $10 billion space observatory. 

Our latest updates on the Webb space telescope’s mission have to do with the Kuiper Belt and quasars, targets both near (in astronomical scales) and far that Webb will observe to better understand the universe. 

First, the Kuiper Belt, which is home to icy objects leftover from the formation of the solar system. As contributing writer Elizabeth Howell writes today, some of Webb’s earliest tasks will be to observe brilliant quasars at the heart of distant galaxies to study how these distant objects (powered by black holes billions of times the mass of our sun) shaped the early universe. You can read the full story here.

More closer to home is the Kuiper Belt, the stomping grounds for Pluto and its biggest moon Charon, which will be a target for Webb. As contributing writer Stefanie Waldek reports, another one of Webb’s early science goals will be to observe Pluto and some other objects in the Kuiper Belt at the fringe of the solar system to track them over time and learn about their surface chemistry and why there is such a diverse range of objects there. 

“Using Webb, we will be able to get information about surface chemistry that might be able to give us some clues into why there are these different populations in the Kuiper Belt,” Heidi Hammel, a Webb interdisciplinary scientist for solar system observations, said in a statement. 

Read the full story here.

Webb instrument work continues

NASA engineers are working on the fourth stage of the long process to align the mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope, according to a new statement from the agency.

The observatory’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument has finished initial check-out and its three key mechanisms have successfully been characterized, the statement noted. The instrument will allow Webb to study the “fingerprint” of light of up to 100 galaxies at a time, giving scientists crucial information about mass, temperature and chemical composition.

We’re also highlighting more of the research that Webb will execute once science observations begin, including studying strange “sub-Neptunes” and evaluating how the activity of stars might affect nearby planets.

Read more

Nearly halfway through mirror alignment

The James Webb Space Telescope team just completed the third of seven planned steps to align the 18 segments of Webb’s big mirror. 

During the second stage, called “segment alignment,” the team corrected the positions of Webb’s primary mirror segments and updated the alignment of the secondary mirror to bring the 18 individual images into focus. They then stacked the 18 images to produce one unified image. “After future alignment steps, the image will be even sharper,” NASA officials said in a statement Friday (Feb. 25).

Read the full story

Webb instrument work continues smoothly

As the James Webb Space Telescope continues the slow commissioning phase, work is going smoothly, according to a NASA statement published Thursday (Feb. 24). That update notes details about progress in several instruments, including filter wheel calibration for the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) and wheel tuning for the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Engineers are also working to precisely align the 18 hexagonal segments that make up the observatory’s massive golden mirror.

Science observations are not expected to begin until this summer, but there’s plenty of science to get excited about during the wait. That science includes plans to contribute to the Event Horizon Telescope’s observations of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way and a program to observe star formation currently hidden by layers of dust.

Sharpening sight

The first image NASA shared from the brand new James Webb Space Telescope showed a star warped over 18 different images due to inconsistencies in the mirror’s alignment. Just a week later, a new image still shows one star 18 times, but now the sparkle forms a sort of cosmic snowflake as the observatory’s image has sharpened. Read more>

Science sneak peek: interstellar asteroids

While James Webb Space Telescope engineers continue aligning the observatory’s segmented golden mirror, scientists are looking ahead to the research the telescope will begin conducting this summer. Overall, the observations will range from our own solar system to the very earliest days of the universe.

One example of what astronomers hope to do with Webb? Study any interstellar objects that come rushing through our solar system. To date, scientists have spotted two: ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and Comet Borisov in 2018. But the James Webb Space Telescope is more powerful than anything in the sky during those two visits, plus it has the capacity to observe in infrared, a key skill. Read more>

It’s a lock!

The James Webb Space Telescope’s Fine Guidance Sensor has successfully locked onto a star for the first time, according to a NASA statement. The instrument plays a crucial role facilitating observations, since it keeps the telescope pointing toward the proper target. Read more>

Before science observations can begin, however, the observatory still needs to finish aligning the 18 hexagonal segments of its golden primary mirror, a process that the Fine Guidance Sensor also supports. Although Webb has begun gathering observations and shared its first images last week, those will show the same star multiple times until the mirror segments are properly aligned.

Webb mission team ecstatic over first images

Today (Feb. 11), NASA revealed that the James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first images of starlight.

And, while the mission team is still cautiously looking ahead as there is much work to be done before the scope is fully operational and ready to begin science observations, they are ecstatic. 

“After all these years, to actually see data when we’re in zero gravity in space, it is emotional,” Lee Feinberg, the Webb optical telescope element manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, told Space.com today during a news conference

However, “We still are being a little cautious, because we still have things that we have to get through … but I will definitely say when I went home Saturday night, two days later [after the image was taken], I know my wife said to me it was the first time she’d seen me smile since December,” he added.

Read more about the team’s excited response and Webb’s thrilling milestone here.

See Webb’s first view of space!

NASA has unveiled Webb’s first image. The photo, as seen above, shows a star called HD 84406 as seen through each of the observatory’s 18 golden mirror segments as scientists continue to work to align the mirror to produce a single, ultra-crisp image of the universe.

The agency also posted a video sharing the story behind the image:

But that’s not all the excitement for today! NASA has also released an annotated version of the same image, plus a “selfie” taken by the observatory of its own golden mirror. See those images and read more here>

And don’t forget to listen to NASA scientists talk about the new images live right now (11 a.m. EST/1600 GMT)! You can listen here at Space.com.

First Webb images available tomorrow, NASA says

NASA will release some of the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope on Friday (Feb. 11) at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT), according to an agency update (opens in new tab). While these images are an important milestone in the observatory’s commissioning, don’t get your hopes up for the next great view of the universe: These are images taken during the mirror alignment process and are strictly utilitarian.

In addition, NASA will offer an update on its progress aligning the 18 mirror segments of Webb’s massive primary reflector. The teleconference will begin at 11 a.m. EST (1400 GMT) and will be available to listen to on NASA TV (opens in new tab) or here at Space.com.

Speakers will include:

• Lee Feinberg, Webb optical telescope element manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
• Marshall Perrin, Webb deputy telescope scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
• Marcia Rieke, principal investigator for the NIRCam instrument and regents professor of astronomy, University of Arizona in Tucson

Webb is painted black – but why?

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is finally at its home in space where it’s preparing to observe the cosmos. But to do this, it has to stay ultra-cold. (Webb’s “cool side” is minus 388 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 233 degrees Celsius).)

Webb observes infrared light, aka heat, which means that to ensure that observations aren’t affected by any additional warmth the scope has to stay super cold. To keep Webb cold enough, the mission team painted its radiator (which helps to radiate heat away from the telescope) and components an ultra-black color. 

Read more about Webb’s paint job and why it has to stay so cold here.

“First light” images coming soon

NASA could be releasing the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope in the next few days, NASA’s Webb program director Greg Robinson said in an agency town hall meeting today (Feb. 8). But don’t expect these first images to be pretty.

“So the beautiful, very clear images that we expect to see, you’ll see those in the summer sometime approximately six months after launch,” Robinson said. “Sometime next few days, you will see some of the first images that are not so clear … the purpose of those is to align the mirrors and make sure the entire system is working,” he added. “We are in that process right now. We just recently started it. So stay tuned over the next few days on those.”

Telescope alignment begins

The James Webb Space Telescope mission team has begun the three-month process of aligning the telescope, NASA officials announced today (Feb. 3). 

“This milestone marks the first of many steps to capture images that are at first unfocused and use them to slowly fine-tune the telescope,” NASA officials wrote in an update today (opens in new tab). “This is the very beginning of the process, but so far the initial results match expectations and simulations.”

Read the full story: Alignment of James Webb Space Telescope begins

James Webb Space Telescope’s exoplanet plan, instruments on

NASA flight controllers are have switched on the four main instruments aboard the James Webb Space Telescope as they prepare to snap the first images of a target star that will be used to align the observatory’s 18-segment main mirror. 

The instrument activation began last week. Here’s our full report from senior writer Tereza Pultarova. 

Meanwhile, with Webb’s commissioning underway, scientists are now eyeing a future of amazing astronomy with the huge space observatory. One scientist, the Ph.D. candidate Louis-Philippe Coulombe of the University of Montreal, wrote in an op-ed that he is eager to see how Webb will help map the atmosphere of exoplanets,  something the observatory should be able to do better than any space telescope to date.

James Webb Space Telescope waking up

The James Webb Space Telescope is beginning to wake up. 

In a town hall press conference on Friday (Jan. 28), scientists with NASA’s Webb Space Telescope mission outlined the work so far to commission the observatory at its new home at the Earth-sun Lagrange point 2. During that virtual briefing, Webb scientists outlined the activation sequence for Webb’s main instruments, as well as the months-long mirror alignment and focusing work that is underway now. 

Read our full story from Elizabeth Howell on Webb’s commissioning work from the briefing.  

Meet Webb’s 1st target star: HD 84406

Scientists with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have picked the first star they will aim at with the new observatory and it’s in a very familiar place. 

The star, called HD 84406, is located in the constellation Ursa Major, the Big Bear, which is home to a star pattern you may know better as the Big Dipper. 

Webb scientists will use the star to focus each of the 18 mirror segments of Webb’s primary mirror. HD 84406 is a sun-light star about 260 light-years from Earth, and may need binoculars to see clearly. 

Here’s our full story on HD 84406, the first target of the James Webb Space Telecope.

Also this week, Bill Ochs, NASA’s Webb telescope project manager, thanked the mission team for its amazing work and dedication to get the observatory to its L2 observing spot. Ochs quoted Jimmy Buffett as he hailed the team, changing some key lyrics. 

Check it out! 

Hello, instruments!

According to an emailed statement from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Webb will begin turning on its science instruments today (Jan. 28). That will include the Fine Guidance Sensor, which will guide the observatory’s mirrors through the delicate alignment process to turn 18 small individual views into one massive view of the universe.

In the meantime, consider reading this op-ed from Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for science, celebrating the vast team behind the James Webb Space Telescope.

“We did it. We did it, and you can see that speck of light in the sky because of an incredible team with extraordinary tenacity,” Zurbuchen wrote. Read more>

Scientists relieved (and thrilled) after Webb’s trek

With the James Webb Space Telescope now at its final destination, scientists can let out a deep sigh of relief. After just over a month in space (and decades in development), Webb is now at its observing site. 

“We’re a month in, and the baby hasn’t even opened its eyes yet. But that’s the science that we’re looking forward to,” Jane Rigby, Webb operations project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said during a media teleconference on Monday.

You can read Rigby’s reaction and those of her Webb telescope colleagues in this update from today’s teleconference by contributing writer Elizabeth Howell. 

Space.com Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd has this account of Webb’s arrival at L2 with comments from NASA chief Bill Nelson and others.

The James Webb Space Telescope is “home”

Today (Jan. 24), the James Webb Space Telescope arrived in orbit around L2, the second sun-Earth Lagrange point, its final destination after a long almost million-mile (1.5 million kilometers) journey from Earth. 

To learn more about Webb’s arrival at L2, check out this article on Space.com here.

Webb arrives at L2!

The James Webb Space Telescope has arrived!

Webb has completed the mid-course correction burn (MCC2), an insertion burn that has guided it into its orbit around its final home in space, NASA announced in a blog post today (opens in new tab) (Jan. 24). 

Beginning at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT), the space telescope fired its onboard thrusters for about five minutes (297 seconds) to complete this burn maneuver. The burn added just about 2.6 miles per hour (1.6 meters per second) (a walking pace, NASA noted), to Webb’s speed as the craft sailed into a halo orbit around its destination: L2, the second sun-Earth Lagrange point. 

L2, which lies just about a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth opposite the sun, is a gravitationally stable point that Webb will orbit as it works. Webb will spend the next few weeks in its new home cooling down before taking about five months to prepare its science instruments to get to work.

“Webb, welcome home!” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in the blog post. “Congratulations to the team for all of their hard work ensuring Webb’s safe arrival at L2 today. We’re one step closer to uncovering the mysteries of the universe. And I can’t wait to see Webb’s first new views of the universe this summer!”

Join NASA live at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) here (opens in new tab) to learn more about the successful arrival and what’s next for Webb.

Insertion burn starting!

The James Webb Space Telescope has begun its mid-course correction burn (MCC2), the insertion burn that will ease it into its halo orbit around its ultimate home in space: L2, the second Lagrange point. 

Lagrange points are gravitationally stable points in space, and L2 is located almost a million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth on the opposite side of the sun. This vantage point will help Webb to stay cold, which is crucial for its science instruments to work as planned.

Join NASA experts LIVE at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) to hear about Webb’s progress and new home at L2. 

About to begin insertion burn!

Webb is about to fire its thrusters to get to its ultimate destination!

Today (Jan. 24), the James Webb Space Telescope makes its arrival at its new home in space, in orbit around L2, the second sun-Earth Lagrange point which lies on the opposite side of Earth as the sun. 

To get into orbit around L2, Webb is beginning what is known as the mid-course correction burn (MCC2), an insertion burn that will ease the space telescope into its operating orbit, a halo orbit, around L2. 

Webb will begin MCC2 at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) and, at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT), NASA officials will be updating the public and answering questions live right here.

Today is the day!

Nearly a month after its stunning Christmas Day launch, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is due to arrive in orbit around L2 today (Jan. 24).

At about 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT), the mission team will direct the observatory to fire its thrusters for about five minutes, completing the long journey of nearly 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers).

NASA will not be broadcasting the burn live, but scientists will be talking about what’s next for the observatory during a 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) broadcast and the agency will hold a media teleconference at 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT) as well. You can watch both events live on Space.com.

Although arrival in orbit marks the last major milestone in the observatory’s deployment, the telescope isn’t quite ready to do science. The mission team still needs to precisely align the 18 golden mirror segments into one vast reflector and to calibrate the observatory’s instruments.

NASA has said to expect the James Webb Space Telescope to begin science operations this summer.

James Webb Space Telescope 1 day from L2

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is one day away from arriving at its final destination for its ambitious science mission: a gravitationally stable point in space known as the Earth-sun Lagrange point 2, or L2. 

As of 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT), the Webb Space Telescope was about 17,310 miles (27,854 kilometers) away from the L2 location, and about 893,897 miles (1,438,484 km) from the Earth. The L2 location is nearly 1 million miles from Earth on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun.

Webb is expected to enter orbit around the L2 point on Monday, Jan. 24. To do so, it will fire its thrusters at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) on Monday for a few minutes to push it the final distance into L2 orbit. 

NASA is expected to host a live webcast of the L2 arrival insertion burn and follow it up with a NASA Science Live program to discuss the event at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT). At 4 p.m. EST (2100 GMT), NASA will hold a press teleconference on the event to discuss the next steps for the space telescope. 

L2 on Monday

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is just a few days away from its arrival at its home in space: L2, or the second Lagrange point, gravitationally stable points in space. L2 is positioned on the side of Earth opposite the sun.

While NASA had previously expected Webb to arrive at L2 on Jan. 23, 29 days after its Dec. 25 launch,  Webb is now expected to begin its mid-course correction burn (MCCB), or insertion burn, into an orbit around L2 on Monday (Jan. 24).

You’ll be able to watch a live broadcast with scientists and engineers operating the space telescope on Monday at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT).

Next stop, L2.

Webb’s next major milestone will be its arrival in orbit around a point in space called the Earth-sun Lagrange point 2, or L2. This video explains where L2 is and why the observatory will camp out in orbit around it.

Mirror deployment is complete

The 18 primary mirror segments of the James Webb Space Telescope are fully deployed, according to a tweet from NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The observatory has one deployment milestone outstanding, a final course correction burn. Read more>

Fast forward to Webb’s first look

NASA is continuing to adjust the individual mirror segments of the James Webb Space Telescope as the observatory continues its trek to orbit nearly 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth. In the meantime, we’re looking ahead to the big moment: What will the observatory look at first? Read more>

Time to adjust those mirrors

NASA has confirmed that the team behind the James Webb Space Telescope have begun the process of aligning the observatory’s mirrors, which were stowed for launch. The preliminary adjustments will take about 10 days, according to a mission timeline, although NASA expects to spend about three months to completely align the panels into a working telescope. Read more>

Onto Webb’s mirror segments

According to a NASA timeline (opens in new tab), the team behind the James Webb Space Telescope will likely begin moving the 18 individual segments of the observatory’s hexagonal golden mirror out of their launch configurations on Wednesday (Jan. 12).

This process is slow and finicky, and is expected to take about 10 days. Each of the 18 primary mirror segments is held in place by seven different actuators that can adjust their position and curvature super precisely. But even once this process is complete, the observatory team will need to spend about three more months getting the honeycomb of mirrors to work together to produce one sharp image.

Webb has been in space for 18 days now and is more than 82% of the way to its final destination. The observatory will orbit a point called the Earth-sun Lagrange point 2, or L2, which is located nearly 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth on the side opposite the sun. The observatory has covered more than 740,000 miles (1.2 million km) and has 160,000 miles (250,000 km) more to go.

You can track the telescope’s (opens in new tab) location, temperature and deployment via NASA.

Webb keeps trekking out to space

NASA has again delayed beginning work on aligning the individual mirror segments of the James Webb Space Telescope, according to an agency timeline (opens in new tab), with that project now scheduled to begin Wednesday (Jan. 12). The process will take several days and moves the 18 individual hexagons of the golden primary mirror out of their launch configuration.

In the meantime, Webb continues its long journey out to Earth-sun Lagrange point 2, or L2. The observatory is currently 80% of the way to L2 and has traveled nearly 725,000 miles (1.16 million kilometers) away from Earth. To follow Webb’s journey, consult NASA’s tracking website (opens in new tab) for the observatory, which also tracks the deployment process.

Webb work continues

Adjustments to the 18 golden mirror segments of Webb’s primary mirror are due to begin tomorrow, Jan. 11, according to the deployment timeline provided by NASA (opens in new tab). That process is expected to take several days and marks the observatory’s transition from deployment into commissioning.

Meanwhile, the observatory continues its trek out to its station orbiting Earth-sun Lagrange point 2, or L2, which is located about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth on the side opposite the sun. As of today (Jan. 10), the telescope is more than 78% of the way to orbit, having traveled more than 700,000 miles (1.1 million km) from Earth, according to NASA’s observatory tracker (opens in new tab).

Mirror alignment to begin for Webb Space Telescope

With the James Webb Space Telescope now fully deployed, work is expected to begin today to start aligning the 18 individual mirrors that make up the observatory’s primary mirror. It is not a fast process.

Full story: The James Webb Space Telescope is fully deployed. So what’s next?

“This operation is a multi-day multi-step activity to activate and move each of its 18 primary mirror segments (which are adjustable) out of their launch configuration, NASA wrote in a deployment guide. “The primary mirror segments and secondary mirror are moved by six actuators that are attached to the back of each mirror piece. The primary mirror segments also have an additional actuator at its center that adjusts its curvature. The telescope’s tertiary mirror remains stationary.”

The primary mirror is Webb’s main light collection surface. It will reflect light to the tertiary mirror located on booms in front of the telescope, which then bounces the light into Webb’s instruments. 

Each of the 18 segments of the primary mirror is plated in a shiny, but ultra thin, layer of gold. If left in launch position, they would act as individual telescopes with images that would be fuzzy and unclear. Once aligned, the mirror segments will act as one giant mirror 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) across, the largest ever in space. 

NASA has estimated that it could take up to 120 days after launch for Webb’s mirror alignment work to be complete. The first photos from Webb are not expected until about five months after launch once commissioning ends. — Tariq Malik

Here’s a look at how Webb’s focusing works: 

James Webb Space Telescope deployment success

An elated mission team for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope confirmed that the space observatory is in great shape after a deployment phase that was 100% successful.

“It is a fully deployed telescope ready to perform fantastic science to expand our knowledge,” said John Durning, Webb Deputy Project Manager of NASA Goddard.

Up next for the Webb team is a five-month commissioning phase to calibrate the telescope’s optics and adjust its mirrors. Webb is currently making its way to its final observing site nearly 1 million miles (1.6 km) from Earth and is due to arrive around Jan. 23. 

To enter orbit around its Lagrange 2 point, Webb will have to perform a short maneuver, but it is expected to go well. 

You can read our wrap story on today’s Webb mirror deployment success here. — Tariq Malik

NASA Webb Space Telescope press conference underway

NASA’s post-deployment press conference is underway now and you can watch it live in the video window at the top of this page. 

NASA is holding two panels, one on the deployment’s success and the other on what’s next for the Webb Space Telescope. 

Here’s a rundown of the speakers for the briefing:

Panel on Webb Space Telescope deployment success

Bill Ochs, Webb Project Manager, NASA Goddard

Mike Menzel, Mission Systems Engineer, NASA Goddard 

Scott Willoughby, Vice President and Program Manager, Webb, Northrop Grumman

Vince Heeg, Deputy Program Manager, Northrop Grumman

Panel on what’s next for James Webb Space Telescope

John Durning, Webb Deputy Project Manager, NASA Goddard

Lee Feinberg, Webb Optical Telescope Element Manager, NASA Goddard

Jane Rigby, Webb Operations Project Scientist, NASA Goddard 

Heidi Hammel, Vice President for Science, Space Telescope Science Institute

Success! Webb Space Telescope primary mirror latched

James Webb Space Telescope mission engineers confirmed that the observatory’s starboard primary mirror wing successfully latched into place at 1:17 p.m. EST (1817 GMT), marking an end to a two-week process that was NASA’s most-complicated deployment in space telescope history. 

Cheers erupted at Webb’s mission operations center at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, as the mission team now prepares for an arduous three-month process to align and calibrate the $10 billion space telescope. 

“Today, NASA achieved another engineering milestone decades in the making!” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Twitter. “While the journey is not complete, I join the Webb team in breathing a little easier and imagining the future breakthroughs bound to inspire the world.”

NASA will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. EST (1930 GMT) for today’s successful deployment. You’ll be able to watch that live here at start time.

Latching underway for Webb telescope mirror

James Webb Space Telescope engineers have passed the halfway mark in latching the observatory’s starboard mirror wing in place. 

The latching process began shortly after 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) and was expected to take around two hours to complete.

Webb Space Telescope mirror fully deployed!

It’s official, the primary mirror of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is completely deployed, the final step of its unprecedented two-week deployment phase that began with a Dec. 25 launch. 

“I just feel this kind of glow in my chest right now just seeing that mirror deployed all together,” NASA scientist Michelle Thaller said in a live webcast as the Webb mission team applauded and shared high-fives. 

Webb space telescope starboard mirror in motion

The Webb Space Telescope’s mission operations team has commanded Webb to deploy its starboard mirror wing. 

It should take 4 to 5 minutes for the mirror segment to swing into place, after which it will take a few hours to latch into place. 

Launch locks released from Webb mirror

The four launch locks securing the Webb Space Telescope’s starboard mirror wing in place have successfully been unlocked, freeing the mirror segment for its final move.

A series of motors successfully worked to unlock the launch locks. They were the final critical movies of 178 mechanism firings that were vital to go smoothly for Webb’s deployment over the last two weeks, NASA says. Those actions were non-redundant, if one failed it would have doomed the Webb Space Telescope. 

“178 out of 178, congratulations,” Webb’s Mission Operations Manager just said.  

The mirror segment is expected to begin slowly moving soon, with major movement to begin in about 20 minutes. Once in place, it will take about two hours to latch it securely in place. — Tariq Malik

Final mirror unfolding begins for Webb Space Telescope

NASA has begun unfolding the final mirror wing for the James Webb Space Telescope. You can watch it in the live video feed at the top of this page. 

Telescope controllers are working to send commands that will remove the launch locks on Webb’s starboard mirror wing. Today’s mirror unfolding will swing three final mirror segments into place to complete the 18-segment primary mirror deployment, the final step for Webb’s two-week deployment phase. 

Here’s a closer look at the primary mirror of James Webb Space Telescope

Webb Space Telescope final deployment underway

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mirror deployment webcast is underway. You can watch it above here hosted by NASA scientist Michelle Thaller. 

NASA to webcast Webb final mirror deployment

Update for 9 a.m. EST: NASA’s live webcast appears delayed. Once it begins, it will appear on this page.

It’s a major day for the James Webb Space Telescope. Two weeks after its Dec. 25 launch, The Webb space telescope is scheduled to unfold its final mirror segment today, Jan. 8, today.  

NASA will webcast the deployment of the Webb’s starboard primary mirror segment live, with a livestream beginning no earlier than 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT). You’ll be able to watch that live on this page once it begins. 

Today’s mirror deployment will use motors to swing Webb’s starboard primary mirror wing, which consists of three mirror segments, into its final position. It will then be latched into place. 

“Upon completion, Webb will have concluded its major deployment sequence,” NASA officials wrote in an update on Friday (opens in new tab) after Webb’s port mirror wing was deployed.

After today’s mirror deployment, NASA will hold a press conference to begin no earlier than 1:30 p.m. EST ( 1730 GMT). — Tariq Malik

Live webcast delayed to Saturday

The Virtual Telescope Project’s live webcast of the James Webb Space Telescope in deep space has been postponed until Saturday (Jan. 8), because clouds above the observatory Italy did not clear up in time to see it today. The webcast is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT). 

The weather forecast for Saturday’s observation looks more promising, Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project told Space.com in an email. 

Virtual Telescope Project JWST webcast delayed

Astrophysicist Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project near Rome, Italy will broadcast live views of the distant James Webb Space Telescope today, beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT). The webcast was originally scheduled to begin an hour earlier, but clouds are currently blocking the view. 

You can tune in live in the window above, courtesy of the Virtual Telescope Project.

Read more: Watch the James Webb Space Telescope soar through space in this livestream today!

1st mirror wing deployed

The James Webb Space Telescope unfolded the first of two wing segments on its hexagonal gold-coated primary mirror on Friday (Jan. 7). NASA received confirmation of the successful deployment at approximately 2:11 p.m. EST (1911 GMT), agency officials wrote in a blog post (opens in new tab).  

Full story: James Webb Space Telescope has unfolded 1st wing of massive golden mirror

Webb’s main mirror deployment has begun!

The James Webb Space Telescope has begun unfolding the left side panel of its golden primary mirror, according to a NASA statement (opens in new tab) published just before 9:30 a.m. EST (1430 GMT). The panel holds three of the hexagonal mirror segments the observatory uses to catch light.

During the deployment, team members will unlatch the wing from its stored position, then motors will unfold the panel in a process expected to take about five minutes. Then, the team will spend about two hours latching the panel into place, according to the statement.

The team is expected to repeat the process tomorrow (Jan. 8) on the right side of the observatory, which will mark the last major unfolding from the spacecraft’s launch position. That event will be livestreamed beginning around 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), NASA has stated.

Webb main mirror deployment begins today

The James Webb Space Telescope will begin its final major unfolding events today with the first of two primary mirror deployments. 

Today, Webb is expected to unfold and secure its port primary mirror wing, which contains three of the space telescope’s 18 hexagon-shaped mirror segments. 

“Webb’s final series of major deployments is planned to start tomorrow, Jan. 7, with the rotation into position of the first of two primary mirror wings,” NASA wrote in an update on Jan. 6 (opens in new tab). “The second primary mirror wing – Webb’s final major spacecraft deployment – is planned for Saturday, Jan. 8.”

Webb’s two primary mirror wings, port and starboard, each have three mirror segments. They were folded back behind the central mirror face during launch in order to fit inside the payload fairing of Webb’s Ariane 5 rocket. 

In other Webb news, the European Space Agency released a stunning HD video of the James Webb Space Telescope captured just after it separated from its Ariane 5 rocket. You can watch that video of Webb here. It is the last view of the space telescope we’ll ever see.

Why is it the last view? The James Webb Space Telescope doesn’t have onboard cameras. 

Webb Mirror deployment webcast update

This is an update to note that NASA’s webcast of the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirror deployment will actually occur on Saturday, Jan. 8, at a time still to be determined based on NASA’s latest live broadcast schedule (opens in new tab). 

Webb’s flight controllers plan to deploy the the telescope’s aft radiator as soon as today before proceeding with the port and starboard mirror deployments on Friday and Saturday. Sorry for any confusion, space fans! — Tariq Malik

James Webb Space Telescope to deploy port mirror wing

The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to begin unfolding its primary mirror today, Jan. 6, starting with the port side. 

In what could be a two-day process, Webb will unfold first the port side and then the starboard side wings of its 18-segment primary mirror, which is made up of shiny gold hexagons. There are three mirror segments on each wing. 

Each of the wings were folded for launch in order to fit inside the payload fairing of Webb’s Ariane 5 rocket. 

While the mirror unfolding process is scheduled to take two days, it could occur faster. Webb’s mission operations team has been running ahead of schedule for several key steps. 

NASA will webcast today’s Webb mirror deployment on NASA TV. A time has not been released for the webcast’s start. Once we have more information, we’ll share that here. — Tariq Malik

James Webb Space Telescope secondary mirror latched securely

The secondary mirror of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is now securely latched into place, marking a successful end to today’s deployment step. NASA’s webcast has ended. You can read our full story by senior writer Tereza Pultarova here.

Deploying the mirror is the latest critical step for the Webb space telescope. The secondary mirror will focus light from the main mirror into the observatory’s optics. 

Over the next few days, Webb will deploy its aft radiator, followed by folding out the two side segments, or wings, of its main mirror. Those steps will mark the final major deployment stages of the telescope. 

Engineers will still have to move each of the 18 primary mirror segments out of their launch configuration so that they can be calibrated for observations. Once that is complete (slated for 15 days after launch), the next major step will be Webb’s arrival into orbit around its L2 point.

Webb space telescope secondary mirror deployed

NASA reports that the secondary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope has successfully unfolded and is now in position. 

Mission operations controllers are now working to drive latches into place to secure the mirror in its deployed configuration. Here’s a look of how the operation went:

NASA Webb mirror deployment webcast begins

NASA’s live webcast of the James Webb Space Telescope’s secondary mirror deployment has begun! You can watch live in the window above.

NASA to Webbcast secondary tescope mirror deployment

Update: NASA’s webcast will now begin at 10:20 a.m. EST (1520 GMT). 

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will deploy its secondary mirror today and you’ll be able to follow the milestone live in a webcast today beginning at 10:20 a.m. EST (1520 GMT). 

During this step, Webb will unfold a series of booms that hold the secondary mirror out in front of the observatory’s main multi-segmented mirror. You’ll be able to watch the live webcast on this page once it begins, and you can watch it directly from NASA here (opens in new tab).

“Webb’s secondary mirror is at the end of the Secondary Mirror Support Structure (SMSS),” NASA wrote in a deployment description. “As it is deployed, its long booms will swing the secondary mirror out in front of the primary mirror. The secondary mirror plays an important role in reflecting the light from the primary mirror to where the instruments sit, behind the primary mirror.”

On Monday, Webb completed its huge sunshield deployment. Here’s a look at what’s ahead this week for the James Webb Space Telescope this week.

Listen to NASA’s sunshield briefing

Today’s live broadcast of the Webb telescope sunshield and deployments media teleconference did not air live on NASA TV as the agency said it would — but you can now listen to a recording of the briefing on YouTube (opens in new tab). 

NASA briefing coming soon…

NASA officials will hold a media teleconference at 12:45 p.m EST (1745 GMT) today to discuss the recently completed deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope’s sunshield and go over next steps for the observatory. 

You can listen to the teleconference live in the window above, courtesy of NASA TV, or directly via nasa.gov/live (opens in new tab).

James Webb Space Telescope sunshield tensioning complete!

NASA has just confirmed that the fifth and final layer of the James Webb Space Telescope’s heat shield has been successfully tensioned, marking the end of the sunshield deployment work that began last week.

“This is an historic day,” NASA scientist Michelle Thaller said during a live webcast. “The first major phase of the deployment of the sunshield has been compete.”

Our wrap story on the event will be posted shortly.

NASA webcast for Webb sunshield tensioning

Update: NASA’s Webb sunshield tensioning webcast is under way. Watch live above for the critical milestone for the James Webb Space Telescope.

It’s Day 2 of sunshield tensioning for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and the space agency will webcast live views from Webb’s mission operations center in Baltimore, Maryland today starting at 9:30 a.m. EST (1430 GMT). You’ll be able to watch that live here in the window above at start time.

NASA did not state how long the webcast will last, but the agency does have another event scheduled for 11:25 a.m. EST from the International Space Station, so it likely won’t last beyond that. 

Webb’s sunshield tightening is the final step in the intricate unfurling of the space telescope’s tennis court-sized shield to protect it from sunlight and keep it cool enough for science. It involves using a series of motors to position and tighten the five ultra-thin layers of Webb’s reflective sunshield. 

The process began on Monday, Jan. 3, with Layer 1 tightening and was expected to end as soon as Wednesday, Jan. 5. However, NASA is way ahead of schedule. As of late Monday, three of the five sunshield layers have been successfully tightened, the agency said in an update on Twitter (opens in new tab).

Webb space telescope in good health, tensioning beginning

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is in good health and will begin tensioning its huge sunshield today, its mission team said today. 

In a media teleconference, NASA officials said Webb will begin tightening the tension on the 1st layer of the five-layer sunshield on Webb today after two days of rest and power system optimization. 

Two issues occurred over the New Year’s Day holiday weekend.

First, Webb’s solar arrays were not generating as much power as they could due to their factory settings. At no point was the space telescope in need of power, but NASA rebalanced the arrays so that they can now work at their peak efficiency. 

Second, the motors used to tension Webb’s sunshield were not staying cool enough as flight controllers preferred. They commanded Webb to change its orientation in space in a way that will keep its motors cooler during the deployment phase. 

With both of those fixes in, Webb appears to be doing well in its deployment. 

The tensioning process for Webb’s sunshield should take at least three days, NASA officials said.

NASA to hold press conference on Webb deployment

NASA will hold a media teleconference at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT) today, Jan. 3, and you can listen to it live here, courtesy of NASA TV. You can also watch directly from NASA here (opens in new tab).

This teleconference will update the public on the James Webb Space Telescope’s deployment after its sunshield was deployed on Dec. 31. 

NASA paused deployment activities on Saturday, Jan. 1, to give its team a rest. The team then spent Sunday studying Webb’s power systems before proceeding with the final steps for sunshield deployment.

James Webb Space Telescope tension could begin today

After a day of delay, NASA James Webb Space Telescope flight controllers are expected to begin the sunshield tightening process on the new space observatory today, Jan. 3. 

The process, which could take at least two days, was initially slated to begin yesterday, but NASA opted to stand down and instead study Webb’s power systems to make sure they were working properly after a week in space. 

The sunshield tightening process involves activating a series of motors on Webb that will separate, and then tighten, the five layers of the space telescope’s gossamer sunshield, which is blocks out sunlight from the infrared observatory’s sensitive instruments so it can better study the universe.  — Tariq Malik

NASA delays Webb sunshield tensioning

NASA flight controllers have delayed today’s planned tensioning of the James Webb Space Telescope’s sunshield in order to work on the observatory’s power systems. 

“This will ensure Webb is in prime condition to begin the next major deployment step in its unfolding process,” NASA officials wrote in an update today (opens in new tab) (Jan. 2). 

Read our full story by Senior Writer Meghan Bartels.

The sunshield tensioning process will now begin no earlier than Monday, Jan. 3, and is expected to take at least two days. Flight controllers made the decision earlier today in order to optimize the power systems on the Webb space telescope.

“Specifically, the team is analyzing how the power subsystem is operating now that several of the major deployments have been completed,” NASA wrote in the update. “Simultaneously, the deployments team is working to make sure motors that are key to the tensioning process are at the optimal temperatures prior to beginning that operation.”

Webb’s step-by-step deployment process is designed in such a way that it can be stopped and started along the way as required, according to NASA officials. The flight control team wants to use some extra time to better understand how Webb is behaving in space, and how it is differing from simulations based on computer testing on the ground.

“Nothing we can learn from simulations on the ground is as good as analyzing the observatory when it’s up and running,” said Bill Ochs, NASA’s Webb project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in the update. “Now is the time to take the opportunity to learn everything we can about its baseline operations. Then we will take the next steps.” — Tariq Malik

Webb ratchets up the tension today

It’s time to raise the tension on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. 

After taking New Year’s Day off on Saturday to rest up after a long Friday night unfolding Webb’s massive sunshield, the mission team aims to begin tensioning the shield’s five layers today to lock them in place. 

It should take at least two full days to lock Webb’s sunshield in place, which marks the final step in its weeklong deployment process. The process involves Webb separating the five layers of its sunshield, which unfolded in a single group and then tensioning them so they are tightly secured for the space telescope’s lifetime. 

NASA expects to complete the sunshield tightening step on Monday, Jan. 3, and will then hold a press teleconference to update the public on the space telescope’s status. – Tariq Malik

Taking a rest day

The team overseeing the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope are taking today (Jan. 1) off, according to a NASA statement. Yesterday’s procedure, deploying the two booms that support the width of the observatory’s massive sunshield, ran later into the day than personnel had hoped. And the next step is even more daunting: a two-day process of separating the five delicate layers of the vast sunshield.

That work will begin tomorrow (Jan. 2), the statement noted, and is expected to take two days to complete. Read more>

James Webb unfurls its sunshield!

The James Webb Space Telescope successfully unfurled its massive sunshield on Friday (Dec. 31), notching a huge milestone in its long and complex deployment campaign. Read our full story about it here.

The sunshield, which will help keep Webb’s optics and instruments cool enough to detect faint heat signals from the early universe, unfolded via two “mid-booms,” which were extended over two roughly three-hour stretches on Friday.

The boom extension activities were delayed slightly while Webb team members checked to make sure the sunshield’s protective cover had fully rolled up as needed. But everything worked out just fine.

“Today is an example of why we continue to say that we don’t think our deployment schedule might change, but that we expect it to change,” Keith Parrish, Webb observatory manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a blog post update Friday night (opens in new tab).

“The team did what we had rehearsed for this kind of situation — stop, assess and move forward methodically with a plan,” Parrish said. “We still have a long way to go with this whole deployment process.”

Next up is tensioning of the sunshield’s five layers, which could be complete as early as Sunday (Jan. 2). After that, the Webb team will shift their focus to mirror deployment.

Sunshield halfway unfurled!

The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully deployed its sunshield port mid-boom, unfurling half of the huge membranous structure.

“The deployment of the 5 telescoping segments of the mid-boom began around 1:30pm ET and reached full deployment at 4:49 pm,” mission team members said via Twitter today (opens in new tab) (Dec. 31). “Webb’s deployment steps are all human-controlled, so the schedule can change. The team plans to deploy the starboard mid-boom tonight.”

There was indeed a schedule change today: The mid-boom deployments were supposed to happen earlier, but Webb’s handlers took extra time to make sure the sunshield’s protective cover had fully rolled up as planned, mission team members explained in another tweet (opens in new tab).  

Sunshield deployment is one of the riskiest, most complex activities the $10 billion observatory will perform during its time in space. So keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well tonight and over the weekend, when the team plans to bring the deployed shield’s layers up to the proper tension.

James Webb Space Telescope to deploy sunshield booms

It’s a big day for the James Webb Space Telescope. 

Today is the day the huge space observatory will deploy the two mid-booms on it port and starboard side that will extend its sunshield out to its full width. The port boom will be extended first, followed by the starboard boom. Motors will drive both events. 

Each mid-boom will deploy with its five sunshield membrane layers attached. If it goes smoothly, Webb will spend the next two days tightening the tension of the sunshield so it’s not loose. 

Wondering why it takes so many steps to deploy Webb’s sunshield? Our Senior Writer Mike Wall has the full story here today.

Webb deploys flab, removes sunshield covers

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope successfully completed its two critical deployments for today, the space agency announced. 

In back-to-back updates, NASA officials confirmed that the Webb space telescope successfully deployed its aft momentum flap and retracted the protective membrane covers on its gossamer sunshield, a major step in the weeklong work to unfurl the shield. 

Read the full story from Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd here.

The membrane covers protected Webb’s sunshield, which will be as large as a tennis court when deployed, during launch. You can see an animation of how the cover retraction went in space above. 

Here’s a close-up graphic below of the aft momentum flap, which is designed to steady Webb against the push of solar wind against its huge sunshield. — Tariq Malik

2 deployment steps for Webb telescope today

It’s been five days since NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launched into space on the observatory has two steps planned for today to continue its ultra-complicated deployment. 

Today, Webb is expected to unfold a aft momentum flap, a three-panel structure at the bottom rear of the telescope designed to offset some of the pressure from the solar wind on Webb’s massive sunshield. The flap should help Webb conserve fuel during its mission life as it limits the extra push on the telescope from the solar wind.

Later, Webb is expected to retract the sunshield membrane covers that have been protecting its thin sunshield layers since launch. The step will require a series of release devices to be activated that will then retract and roll up the membrane covers (two per sunshield pallet, fore and aft) to uncover the sunshield itself. 

When deployed, the five-layer sunshield will be about the size of a tennis court. But there are 50 distinct steps to get it into place.

You can explore exactly how Webb is unfolding at NASA’s Deployment Explorer website here (opens in new tab). — Tariq Malik

JWST extends its Deployable Tower Assembly

The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully completed the deployment of the tower assembly that separates the two main halves of the spacecraft. 

The observatory’s Deployable Tower Assembly took a little over 6.5 hours to extend, creating about 4 feet (1.2 meters) of space between the mirror assembly and the spacecraft’s bus, which houses its electronics and propulsion systems, NASA officials said in a statement (opens in new tab).

“This creates enough distance to allow the sensitive mirrors and instruments to cool down to the necessary temperatures to detect infrared light,” NASA said in the statement. “This gap will also provide room for the sunshield membranes to fully unfold.”

Read the full story here