What is the purpose of the James Webb Space Telescope?

James Webb Space Telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST) is a space telescope that will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The JWST will provide greatly improved resolution and sensitivity, and will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology.

Who is James Webb and why is he famous?

Who is James Webb? James E. Webb ran the fledgling space agency from February 1961 to October 1968. He believed that NASA had to strike a balance between human space flight and science. The man whose name NASA has chosen to bestow upon the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope is most commonly linked to the Apollo moon program, not to science.

Why choose Webb Space Science?

Webb’s vision of a balanced program resulted in a decade of space science research that remains unparalleled today.

Why was Webb chosen to be NASA Administrator?

With his keen political savvy and exceptional managerial skills, Webb was perfect for the job, the President believed. He made it clear to Webb that the NASA Administrator’s job was a policy job. He needed someone who could handle the large issues of national and international policies. The scientific community was equally anxious about Webb.

What happened to the Hubble Space Telescope 2020?

Work on integration and testing of the telescope was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding further delays. Following work resumption, NASA announced that the launch date had been delayed to 31 October 2021.

How much did it cost to build the Hubble Space Telescope?

On 8 September 2021, ESA announced that the launch date had been pushed to 18 December 2021. The estimated total cost of developing the telescope had in 2020 increased to over US$10 billion, but in 2021 has fallen back below US$10 billion.

How far away is the Moon from the Hubble telescope?

By way of comparison, Hubble orbits 550 km (340 mi) above Earth’s surface, and the Moon is roughly 400,000 km (250,000 mi) from Earth. This distance made post-launch repair or upgrade of the JWST hardware virtually impossible with the spaceships available during the telescope design and fabrication stage.