← ALL PROBES
DISTANCE FROM SUN1.0227 AU
DISTANCE FROM EARTH0.0102 AU
VELOCITY29.706 km/s
LIGHT TIME0 min
ACTIVE
UPDATED1h ago
1.0227
AU FROM SUN
DISTANCE
152,993,742 km
106,942
KM/H
VELOCITY
4 years, 227 days
MISSION DURATION
AND COUNTING
0
MINUTES LIGHT TIME
ONE-WAY SIGNAL DELAY
6,161
KG
LAUNCH MASS
1
TARGETS
Sun-Earth L2
James Webb Space Telescope is a observatory mission by NASA / ESA / CSA targeting Sun-Earth L2. Launched December 25, 2021. Currently 1.0227 AU from the Sun.
ABOUT JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever built, observing the universe in infrared from its orbit at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, 1.5 million km from Earth. Its 6.5-meter gold-plated mirror has revealed the earliest galaxies, analyzed exoplanet atmospheres, and provided unprecedented views of our solar system.
KEY DISCOVERIES
- Earliest known galaxies just 300 million years after Big Bang
- Atmospheric composition of exoplanets including TRAPPIST-1
- CO2 detected in exoplanet atmosphere for the first time
- Unprecedented detail in nearby galaxies, nebulae, and star-forming regions
TECHNOLOGY & FIRSTS
- Largest space telescope ever launched (6.5m primary mirror)
- Operates at -233u00b0C using 5-layer tennis-court-sized sunshield
- Observes in infrared from 0.6 to 28.5 micrometers
- Located at Sun-Earth L2 point, 1.5 million km from Earth
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS (4)
NIRCam (Near-IR Camera)
NIRSpec (Near-IR Spectrograph)
MIRI (Mid-IR Instrument)
FGS/NIRISS (Fine Guidance Sensor/Near-IR Imager)
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICATIONS
Launch Mass6,161 kg (13,586 lbs)
PowerSolar panels (2000W)
PropulsionHydrazine/N2O4 bipropellant, 20 thrusters
CommunicationsKa-band, 25.9m² solar panel, 28 Gbps downlink
Launch VehicleAriane 5 ECA
Launch DateDecember 25, 2021
Arrival DateJanuary 24, 2022
ProgramFlagship
MISSION TRAJECTORY
1
Sun-Earth L2