The James Webb Space Telescope — named after the former director of the US Space Agency (NASA) — is in its final stage and has recently arrived at the base where it will be launched, receiving attention from experts in the dismantling process and being reassembled on top of the rocket. which will start the equipment’s journey towards the discovery of other galaxies in the Universe.
A video published last week shows the “unboxing” of the huge, heavy and expensive telescope, exposing the construction of the observatory and the difficulty in moving it.
The video was published on the official channel of the European Space Agency (ESA) and reveals part of the logistical process of transporting the telescope that left California and went to French Guiana, an overseas territory belonging to France and from where the observatory will be launched into space.
The equipment was opened in a highly protected room and had the participation of several technicians and engineers from ESA during the process of opening the opening of the transport compartment until the assembly on top of the Ariante 5 rocket, which will be responsible for placing the telescope in orbit at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
During the ‘unboxing’ it is possible to notice that all employees use protective equipment and take great care when handling the telescope, care is not for nothing, since the entire project cost about US$ 10 billion and began to be conceived in 1996 with the participation of 1,200 people, including technicians, scientists and engineers.
The expectation is that the JSWT will contribute greatly to advances in astronomy, relying on more advanced technology than Hubble, which has some limitations that prevent it from seeing infrared light, a feature that is one of the main strengths of James Webb and it will expand knowledge about the cosmos.
Rocket Launch
The expectation is that the telescope will be launched on December 18, it being necessary to wait at least six months for the observatory to reach its destination and be able to send images to the researchers. The JSWT mission must last at least five years and due to the distance it will not receive any type of maintenance in case any defect appears.
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