NASA Reveals First Look At How Its Massive Telescope Will Launch Into Space
Screenshot via NASA
NASA has unveiled the first look at how its James Webb Space Telescope will be assembled onto an Ariane 5 rocket for launch in 2021.
As the most massive space science telescope ever built, the observatory has been designed to fold in on itself to form a smaller configuration. It will then unfold and stretch itself in space to observe the cosmos.
The Webb telescope was developed by NASA and its partners, European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, to explore the universe in space.
The space agency has shared a video of how the telescope will be folded and stowed when it launches to space next year.
The large hexagons are the telescope’s mirrors, and measure over 21-foot in diameter. The massive sun shield will be folded over the mirrors to deter the heat and light from the sun.
Check out NASA’s teaser on the Webb telescope’s configuration below.
[via Mashable, cover image via NASA]
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