NASA's $10B James Webb Space Telescope Finally Takes Flight

From PC Mag: Twenty five years and $10 billion later, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has finally blasted off on its historic space mission.

Named after former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, who played an integral part in the Apollo program, the space telescope is a joint NASA/European Space Agency (ESA)/Canadian Space Agency (CSA) project set to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as the world's premier science observatory.

Launched on Saturday from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America, the telescope's 27-minute ride aboard Ariane 5 began the morning of Dec. 25. After separating from the rocket and unfolding its solar array, Webb embarked on a month-long journey to its intended orbit—nearly 1 million miles from Earth. Scientific operations are expected to begin in approximately six months.

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