NASA Completes Telescope That Can Look Back 13 Billion Years

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has completed the construction of James Webb, the world's largest space telescope, scheduled to launch in 2018.

The James Webb Space Telescope is completed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, USA. Photo: Reuters.

The James Webb Space Telescope, which can look back 13.5 billion years into the universe, is complete and ready for testing, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, but with a larger and more powerful mirror. Scheduled to launch in the next two years, the telescope is the result of 20 years of work after numerous delays and financial difficulties.

“Today we celebrate the completion of the telescope and are about to demonstrate that it works,” John Mather, astrophysicist and senior project scientist for the JWST, said at a press conference on November 2. “We’ve worked hard for two decades and this is the result. We’re about to open up a whole new realm of astronomy.”

While Hubble is famous for its many important discoveries, such as the rate at which the universe is expanding, JWST will go further by exploring the birth of the first planets, stars and galaxies after the Big Bang more than 13.5 billion years ago with its ultra-sensitive infrared camera. JWST's observations will not only help researchers understand the origins of the universe, but also aid in the search for signs of life on other planets.

“We want to know if other planets out there have enough water to form oceans, and we believe we can,” said Dr Mather.

The $8.8 billion telescope features a mirror 2.7 times larger than Hubble's and powerful sensors that can detect infrared light 400 times fainter than the viewing range of current space telescopes.

Before launch, JWST will undergo testing at various facilities and the final assembly line in California to ensure it can withstand the noise and vibrations of taking off on the back of a rocket. Unlike Hubble, JWST will not be repaired after it reaches orbit. Scientists hope it can operate in orbit for 10 years.

JWST is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. After launch, JWST will operate in tandem with Hubble. "Having two space telescopes together really gives a more comprehensive picture of the universe than having one telescope on its own," said Ken Sembach of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STS).

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