After the traditional telescopes to gaze the skies, Hubble Space Telescope was launched. Scientists wanted a more powerful space telescope and they worked since 1989 for a quarter of a century to build James Webb Space Telescope. There were many accidents and cost over-runs. Ultimately it is going to be launched on Christmas eve, the 24th December, 2021 from a European launch site in French Guiana. The telescope will be encapsulated in the nose of Ariane5 rocket known for its precision in placing its payload. The space telescope is jointly developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It will succeed the Hubble Telescope. It is 100 times more powerful than Hubble.
It will orbit the sun one million miles from the earth, on the other side of the moon. JWST will lift a dark curtain of ignorance about the early days of the universe. It will reveal how the first stars and galaxies emerged from the primordial fog of a baby universe, say 100 or 200 million years young universe. It is a universe closer to its birth 14 billion years ago. It could be said these were the baby steps of the universe out of the Big Bang. It will help us understand the blackholes.
The event is as significant in human history as the building of the Egyptian pyramids or the Great Wall of China or the Shahjahan-built Taj Mahal. It is the hard work of a team of scientists, mostly well-versed in rocket and space engineering.
After the launch, this telescope will have to execute a series of manoeuvres to unfurl a big golden mirror and deploy five thin layers of big plastic sunscreens to protect it from cold and dark. Here no human or robotic intervention is possible. It has to be mechanical and any failure could be catastrophic. Scientists are concerned and anxious about the uncertainties involved.
The prestige of several scientists is at stake, especially the US scientists. In the field of astronomy and astrophysics, success stories will be scripted on operationalisation of JWST. Fortunately, it is only hardware that is at risk, and not human lives.
The telescope has an ultra-sensitive infrared imaging device or camera. If it works, we have a lot to look forward to.