What you need to know about the new James Webb Space Telescope and its Christmas launch

There truly will be a Christmas miracle this year, since December 25 will finally witness the launch of the James Webb Space telescope. This is a long-awaited Christmas present for the science community and space enthusiasts alike. The telescope has arrived at its final location on earth at Europe’s Spaceport, located near Korou, French Guinea before its lift-off to space. The successor of the popular Hubble telescope is scheduled to launch on Saturday, December 25 at 12:20 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). It is expected to reach at its location in space in a month’s. Here is all you need to know about the James Webb Space Telescope.  

What is the James Webb Space Telescope? 
The James Webb Space Telescope of JWST was a collaborative effort between NASA, the European Science Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA.) Its construction began all the way back in 2004. Initially scheduled to be launched in 2007 and then again in 2018, it got delayed to 2021. This will be the first telescope in space after the Hubble Telescope, and is designed to be more advanced and with less limitations than its predecessor.  

The fundamental objective of this engineering marvel is to launch exploration into the early phases of cosmic history. Along with this, it will seek to investigate the existence of potential extra-terrestrial life. Unlike the Hubble telescope, the JWST will be placed in the sun’s orbit, not the earth’s. It will be placed around a million miles away from our planet. It will be located right behind the earth, in an effort to make the sun easily visible.  

What makes JWST’s launch unique? 
This new telescope is significantly larger than its predecessor. As a result, it will not be possible to fit it into a rocket’s typical conical configuration. The solution for this came up in the idea of folding the JWST in origami-style. But, this also means that unfurling it would be a tricky task too. Hence, the communications antenna and solar panels which are responsible for supplying energy to it will be deployed after half an hour from its lift-off. Post this, the unfurling of the telescope will be commenced by the sun shield. A complex network of mechanisms will help guide the JWST’s membranes.