James Webb Space Telescope

Timeline

• 1989

The next Generation Space Telescope Workshop at STScI was hosted together by Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and NASA which was focused at the science and technical capabilities of an observatory that would follow the Hubble Space Telescope after it was decommissioned, which was expected to be in 2005.

• 1995-1996

A significantly larger telescope capable of observing infrared light was recommended by an STScI committee. Goddard Space Flight Center and STScI were selected by NASA to study the feasibility of this recommended Next Generation Space Telescope.

It was determined that such an observation is feasible by three independent government and aerospace teams.

• 1997

Teams were selected by NASA from the Goddard Space Flight Center, TRW, and Ball Aerospace to modify the technical and financial requirements of the telescope.

• 1999

Phase A was conducted by Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace and TRW [also partnering with Kodak and ATK] to discuss about mission studies that included preliminary analysis of the design and cost.

• 2002

Based on two Phase A studies ,NASA opted for the design of TRW/Ball Aerospace to continue in Phase B detailed design studies that examine the performance and cost of the chosen design.

The telescope was renamed to James Webb Space Telescope.

TRW and Ball are awarded observatory contract in Phase B, but changes occur right after. TRW, now acquired by Northrop Grumman, works with Ball to develop the laboratory in Phases B, C and D.

NASA selects the team responsible for developing the Near-Infrared Camera(NIRCam) and the flight science working group

• 2004

Constructions begins on certain telescope parts that particularly require extensive long term work like Webb's science instruments and the 18 segments of the primary mirror.

• 2005

The use of European Space Agency's Ariane 5 rocket to launch Webb into Space was ratified by NASA.

• 2006

The science instrument teams for the Near-Infrared Camera(NIRCam) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument(MIRI) share their critical design reviews and commence construction of flight instruments. All of the Webb's essential technologies were tested successfully under flight conditions.

• 2007-2008

The Webb Mission was analyzed by internal and external groups. The reviews regarding internal tentative design and external non-advocate review concluded that the plans and designs have reached maturity and NASA needed to commit to Phase C and D that involve detailed design, acquisition, testing and assembling of the telescope and observatory components. Thus the construction begins diligently.

• 2009

The Integrated Science Instrument Module(ISIM) structure, built to house Webb's four science instruments, arrives Goddard Space Flight Center for testing.

• 2010

The mission on critical design review was passed by Webb, which indicated that the integrated observatory should meet all science and engineering requirements for its mission.

• 2011

Webb's mirrors were beryllium coated in a thin layer of gold, and had passed cryogenic testing, which already braced them for the frigid temperature they will be exposed to in space.

• 2012

Two of Webb's four science instruments, the Mid-Infrared Instrument(MIRI) and the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph(NIRISS) along with Webb's Fine Guidance Sensor were received by Goddard Space Flight center from the European and Canadian space agencies. Webb's secondary mirror and the first three segments of primary mirror also arrived at Goddard Space Flight Center from the Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp.

The construction of center section of Webb's backplane structure that was designed to hold the telescope's primary mirror segments was finished by Northrop Grumman and partner ATK.

• 2013

Northrop Grumman and ATK completed the two side "wings" of Webb's backplane structure. Two final science instruments of Webb, the Near-Infrared Sensor(NIRCam) and Near-Infrared Spectrograph(NIRSpec) in addition to the remaining primary mirror segments were delivered to Goddard Space Flight Center.

• 2014

The commencement of manufacturing of the space parts (such as fuel tanks, gyroscopes and solar panels).

The initiation of cryogenic testing of Integrated Science Instrument Module(ISIM) along with all four instruments to illustrate the performance of the instruments as well as the electronics used to communicate with the instruments.

• 2015-2016

Completion of cryogenic testing of the Integrated Science Instrument Module(ISIM). The 18 primary mirror segments were mounted into the backplane, along with the secondary mirror and support struts. The primary and Secondary mirrors were integrated with the aft mirrors and the ISIM to establish the unit known as the Optical Telescope Element.

• 2017

The cryogenic testing of the Optical Telescope Element was successfully done in a giant thermal vacuum chamber called Chamber A at Johnson Space Center.

• 2018

After the successful completion of its final thermal vacuum test, the Optical Telescope Element arrived at Northrop Grumman in Rendondo Branch, California, bringing all flight components of web under one roof.

The first successful tests are operated from the Mission Operations Center at STScI to the telescope's spacecraft on the ground in California.

• 2019

For the first time, Webb's spacecraft element-the sunshield and bus-successfully passes acoustic, vibration, and thermal vacuum tests which replicate the challenges of the launch environment in addition to the extreme vacuum of the space.

The two halves of the Webb telescope-the Optical Telescope and the spacecraft-were connected successfully by the engineers at Northrop Grumman.

• 2020

Fully folded web completes its final environmental testing to demonstrate that it can withstand the shaking and jostling of the launch environment.

Webb's sunshield is deployed on Earth for the final time.

• 2021

Webb is folded and stored for launch for the final time. STScI declared the selection of Cycle 1 General Observation programs, rounding out the science Webb will conduct during its first year in space.

Webb is transported to the Guiana Space Center(Le Center Spatial Guyanais, CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana, for launch.

Launch Of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope on December 25,2021

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launched at 7:20 a.m. EST on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America. Ground teams began receiving telemetry data from Webb about five minutes after the launch.

Approximately 30 minutes after launch, the Webb's Telescope's unto the unique solar array unfolded, and mission managers confirmed that the array was providing power to the observatory.

The James Webb Telescope, brought about collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency(ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency and it will seek light from the first galaxies in the early universe, study how galaxies and stars change over cosmic time, observe planets orbiting other stars, called exoplanets, and even study our own solar system.

• 2022

Webb First Images On July 12,2022 Display the Universe in a new Light

On the evening of July 11, 2022, President Joe Biden revealed the first multicolor image from the James Webb Space Telescope. The near-infrared-light glance of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is the profoundest and most incisive image taken of the remote universe to date. The following morning, full-color images and spectroscopic data for an additional four targets were released, each unveiling cosmic attributes that had never been captured in such detail.

Webb's first observations revealed the telescope's ability to meticulously detail the universe through cosmic record. These five images displayed the vast array of competencies of all Webb's state-of-the-art cameras and spectrographs.