The James Webb space telescope, awaited for thirty years by astronomers around the world to examine the universe with unparalleled means, is due to reach its observation post this Saturday, 1.5 million km from Earth, thanks to a Ariane 5 rocket. After taking off from the Guyana Space Center, the telescope becomes the most advanced cosmos observation instrument ever sent into space.
It was after twenty-seven minutes of flight that the world understood that the propelled phase had gone well. A success which further seals the cooperation between NASA and its European partners. “Strong cooperation is essential to accomplish great things”, officials from ESA (European Space Agency) and NASA stressed to Kourou.
Great things, in particular with the ambition to shed more light on humanity on two issues that torment it. Where do we come from ? Are we alone in the universe ? And thus see the glimmers of “cosmic dawn”, when the first galaxies began to illuminate the Universe since the big bang, 13.8 billion years ago.
The telescope will make it possible to better understand the formation of stars and galaxies, and to observe the exoplanets of which astronomers are discovering more and more specimens, to perhaps identify other Earths one day. The James Webb will follow in the footsteps of the Hubble telescope, which revolutionized the observation of the Universe: it was thanks to him that scientists discovered the existence of a galactic black hole at the center of all galaxies, or water vapor around exoplanets. However, it will take several weeks to know if the new telescope is ready for use. With an official entry into service scheduled for June.
Update : update at 13:51 with the successful launch of the telescope.