THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION
JAMES WEBB

Webb was formerly known as

the “Next Generation Space

Telescope” (NGST); it was renamed in

Sept 2002 after a former NASA

administrator, James Webb.

WEBB IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration
WEBB IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

+
National Aeronautics and European Space
Space Administration Agency
WEBB IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

+ +
National Aeronautics and European Space Canadian Space
Space Administration Agency Agency
WEBB IS AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

+ +
National Aeronautics and European Space Canadian Space
Space Administration Agency Agency

Managing The Main Industrial Operates Webb

Development Effort Partner After Launch
THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Infrared
THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Infrared
6.5
meter primary mirror
THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Infrared
Hubble’s
primary mirror
6.5
meter primary mirror
THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Infrared
Hubble’s
primary mirror
6.5
meter primary mirror

2018
launch date
HOW BIG IS WEBB?

HUBBLE
HOW BIG IS WEBB?

HUBBLE

TRACTOR-
TRAILER
HOW BIG IS WEBB?

HUBBLE WEBB

TRACTOR-
TRAILER
HOW BIG IS WEBB?

HUBBLE WEBB

TRACTOR-
BOEING 737
TRAILER
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Folding, segmented primary mirror
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Folding, segmented primary mirror

Ultra-lightweight beryllium optics

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Folding, segmented primary mirror

Ultra-lightweight beryllium optics

Detection of extremely weak signals

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Folding, segmented primary mirror

Ultra-lightweight beryllium optics

Detection of extremely weak signals

Microshutters
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Folding, segmented primary mirror

Ultra-lightweight beryllium optics

Detection of extremely weak signals

Microshutters

Cryocooler
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS ON WEBB

Near InfraRed Camera

(NIRCam)
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS ON WEBB

1 2

Near InfraRed Camera Near InfraRed Spectrograph

(NIRCam) (NIRSpec)
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS ON WEBB

1 2 3

Near InfraRed Camera Near InfraRed Spectrograph Mid-InfraRed Instrument

(NIRCam) (NIRSpec) (MIRI)
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS ON WEBB

1 2 3 4

Near InfraRed Camera Near InfraRed Spectrograph Mid-InfraRed Instrument Fine Guidance Sensor/
(NIRCam) (NIRSpec) (MIRI) Near InfraRed Imager
& Slitless Spectrograph
(FGS-NIRISS)
INTEGRATED SCIENCE INSTRUMENT MODULE (ISM)
INTEGRATED SCIENCE INSTRUMENT MODULE (ISM)

The ISM contains

the four instruments
INTEGRATED SCIENCE INSTRUMENT MODULE (ISM)

The ISM contains

the four instruments
INFRARED RANGE
Webb's instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic
spectrum, with some capability in the visible range. It will be sensitive to light from 0.6 (orange)
to 28 micrometers (µm) in wavelength.
INFRARED RANGE
Webb's instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic
spectrum, with some capability in the visible range. It will be sensitive to light from 0.6 (orange)
to 28 micrometers (µm) in wavelength.

Gamma Rays X-Rays UV Rays Visible Light Infrared Microwave Radio waves

Wavelength in
10-5 0.2 0.4 0.75 1,000
microns (µm)
INFRARED RANGE
Webb's instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic
spectrum, with some capability in the visible range. It will be sensitive to light from 0.6 (orange)
to 28 micrometers (µm) in wavelength.

Gamma Rays X-Rays UV Rays Visible Light Infrared Microwave Radio waves

Wavelength in
10-5 0.2 0.4 0.75 1,000
microns (µm)

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)
INFRARED RANGE
Webb's instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic
spectrum, with some capability in the visible range. It will be sensitive to light from 0.6 (orange)
to 28 micrometers (µm) in wavelength.

Gamma Rays X-Rays UV Rays Visible Light Infrared Microwave Radio waves

Wavelength in
10-5 0.2 0.4 0.75 1,000
microns (µm)

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)

Infrared Sensitivity of
Webb’s Instruments

0.6 µm 28 µm
INFRARED RANGE

FGS/NIRISS
(0.8 to 5.0 µm)

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)

Infrared Sensitivity of
Webb’s Instruments

0.6 µm 28 µm
INFRARED RANGE

NIRSpec & NIRCam

(0.6 to 5 µm)

FGS/NIRISS
(0.8 to 5.0 µm)

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)

Infrared Sensitivity of
Webb’s Instruments

0.6 µm 28 µm
INFRARED RANGE

NIRSpec & NIRCam

(0.6 to 5 µm)

FGS/NIRISS MIRI
(0.8 to 5.0 µm) (5 to 28 µm)

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)

Infrared Sensitivity of
Webb’s Instruments

0.6 µm 28 µm
INFRARED RANGE
Near IR
Reveals:
• cooler red stars NIRSpec & NIRCam
(dust is transparent) (0.6 to 5 µm)

FGS/NIRISS MIRI
(0.8 to 5.0 µm) (5 to 28 µm)

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)

Infrared Sensitivity of
Webb’s Instruments

0.6 µm 28 µm
INFRARED RANGE
Near IR
Reveals:
• cooler red stars NIRSpec & NIRCam
(dust is transparent) (0.6 to 5 µm)

Mid IR

Reveals: FGS/NIRISS MIRI

• planets, comets, and asteroids (0.8 to 5.0 µm) (5 to 28 µm)
• dust warmed by starlight
• protoplanetary disks

Visible Light Near Infrared Mid Infrared Far Infrared Rays

Wavelength in
0.6 0.75 1.5 4 1,000
microns (µm)

Infrared Sensitivity of
Webb’s Instruments

0.6 µm 28 µm
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE THEMES
1 THE END OF THE DARK AGES:
FIRST LIGHT AND REIONIZATION
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE THEMES
1 THE END OF THE DARK AGES:
FIRST LIGHT AND REIONIZATION 2 THE ASSEMBLY
OF GALAXIES
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE THEMES
1 THE END OF THE DARK AGES:
FIRST LIGHT AND REIONIZATION
2 THE ASSEMBLY
OF GALAXIES 3 THE BIRTH OF STARS AND
PROTOPLANETARY SYSTEMS
FOUR MAIN SCIENCE THEMES
1 THE END OF THE DARK AGES:
FIRST LIGHT AND REIONIZATION
2 THE ASSEMBLY
OF GALAXIES 3 THE BIRTH OF STARS AND
PROTOPLANETARY SYSTEMS 4 PLANETARY SYSTEMS
AND THE ORIGINS OF LIFE
THE LAUNCH
THE LAUNCH
Arianespace's ELA-3
launch complex
near Kourou, French Guiana
THE LAUNCH
Arianespace's ELA-3
launch complex
near Kourou, French Guiana
THE LAUNCH
Arianespace's ELA-3
launch complex
near Kourou, French Guiana
THE LAUNCH
Arianespace's ELA-3
launch complex
near Kourou, French Guiana
THE LAUNCH
Arianespace's ELA-3
launch complex
near Kourou, French Guiana
WEBB’S ORBIT

• Webb must be very cold

• Shielded from the heat of the Sun
AND the Earth
• Solution: L2 (Lagrange point)
L2

150 million km 1.5 million km

WEBB’S ORBIT
L4
• Webb must be very cold
• Shielded from the heat of the Sun
AND the Earth
• Solution: L2 (Lagrange point)
L2
L1
L3 THE L2 LAGRANGE POINT
150 million km 1.5 million km

Lagrange Points provide a stable

configuration in which three
bodies can orbit each other yet
stay in the same position relative
to each other.

L5
HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

BIG
BANG

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

BIG
BANG

COSMIC
MICROWAVE
BACKGROUND

0 .0004
(~400,000 yrs)

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

DARK AGES

BIG
BANG

COSMIC
MICROWAVE
BACKGROUND

FIRST
STARS

0 .0004 .3
(~400,000 yrs)

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

DARK AGES

BIG
BANG

COSMIC
MICROWAVE
BACKGROUND

FIRST
STARS
FIRST
GALAXIES

0 .0004 .3 1
(~400,000 yrs)

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

DARK AGES

BIG
BANG

COSMIC
MICROWAVE
BACKGROUND

FIRST
STARS
FIRST
GALAXIES

MODERN
UNIVERSE

0 .0004 .3 1 13.7
(~400,000 yrs)

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

HST GOODS /
DARK AGES
CHANDRA DEPP FIELD
BIG
BANG

COSMIC
MICROWAVE
BACKGROUND

FIRST
STARS
FIRST
GALAXIES

MODERN
UNIVERSE

0 .0004 .3 1 13.7
(~400,000 yrs)

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

HOW FAR BACK IN TIME WILL WEBB SEE?

HST GOODS /
DARK AGES
CHANDRA DEPP FIELD
BIG
BANG
JWST
(13.4 billion years ago)
COSMIC
MICROWAVE
BACKGROUND

FIRST
STARS
FIRST
GALAXIES

MODERN
UNIVERSE

0 .0004 .3 1 13.7
(~400,000 yrs)

AGE OF THE UNIVERSE (billions of years)

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
HTTP://WWW.JWST.NASA.GOV/INDEX.HTML
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