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Peering deep into space, and back into time.
Operating 930,000 miles beyond Earth's orbit, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will observe objects billions of light years away, recording the formation of the first stars and galaxies billions of years ago. JWST will be able to see objects 400 times fainter than today's space- and ground-based telescopes and will allow scientists to answer fundamental questions about the origin of universe.
Northrop Grumman Space Technology is NASA's prime contractor for the development of JWST. The observatory's 6.5-meter aperture primary mirror will be the first segmented optical system ever deployed in space. Comprised of 18 lightweight hexagonal-shaped segments that are folded for launch, the structure will be unfurled with high-precision deployment mechanisms. A tennis court-sized sunshield will keep the telescope shadowed from the sun.
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