James Webb Space Telescope: what’s next? – The National

James Webb Space Telescope: what’s next? – The National

Now that the James Webb Space Telescope has reached its final orbit, engineers will spend the next five months preparing the observatory for its mission to study the universe.

The world’s most powerful telescope on Monday successfully completed a journey of 1.5 million kilometres, arriving at a place in space known as Lagrange Point 2.

The location helps the $10 billion spacecraft to orbit the Sun while “hiding behind” the Earth to protect itself from the solar heat and allowing it to see greater distances than any other telescope in history.