James Webb Space Telescope Looks Out Of This World

NASA’s Jonathan Gardner and colleagues’ comprehensive description (1) of the scientific goals and technical design of the observatory, which can be used by scientists throughout the world in planning for Webb’s investigations and discoveries, was recently published in Springer’s peer-reviewed journal Space Science Reviews.  The article is freely accessible online via SpringerLink through Springer’s Open Choice™ program (http://www.springerlink.com/content/q58315621w03/).

Lead author Jonathan Gardner, Chief of the Laboratory for Observational Cosmology at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said: “Many of the most important scientific results from Hubble were not anticipated before its launch in 1990.  Similarly, while this publication outlines the scientific goals we have for Webb at this time, my hope is that Webb will make additional discoveries that we can’t even imagine now.”

The JWST, named after a former NASA Administrator, will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity.  Webb’s instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum, with some capability in the visible range.  The longer wavelengths enable JWST to look much closer to the beginning of time and to hunt for the unobserved formation of the first galaxies, as well as look inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today. Webb’s scientific goals are split into four distinct themes: The End of the Dark Ages - First Light and Reionization; The Assembly of Galaxies; The Birth of Stars and Protoplanetary Systems; and Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life.

The JWST will be launched on an Ariane 5 Enhanced Capability-A rocket into orbit well beyond Earth’s Moon, about 1.5 million km (940,000 miles) from the Earth, at the Second Lagrange Point (L2).  At that distance from Earth, the telescope will be protected from stray light and heat, yet will remain in an orbit that makes operations and communications easy.  Just as importantly, Earth will not obstruct the telescope’s view.

The authors conclude: “Regular, competitive peer-reviewed proposal selection will ensure that this international resource will address the most relevant and strongly justified scientific questions, and will leave a legacy of knowledge and discovery for future generations.”

The article is available free to anyone, anywhere in the world, via SpringerLink through the Springer Open Choice™ program.  Open Choice™ gives authors the option of publishing their articles using the open access publishing model in exchange for payment of a basic fee.

1. Gardner JP et al (2006).  The James Webb Space Telescope.  Space Science Reviews 123(4):485-606; (DOI 10.1007/s11214-006-8315-7)

Background

James E. Webb.  The man whose name NASA has chosen to bestow upon the JWST is most commonly linked to the Apollo moon program, not to science.  James E. Webb ran the space agency from February 1961 to October 1968 and many believe that he did more for science than perhaps any other government official and that it is only fitting that the Next Generation Space Telescope would be named after him.

JWST - an international collaboration.  The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).  The NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre is managing the development effort.  The prime contractor is Northrop Grumman Space Technologies.  The Space Telescope Science Institute will operate JWST after launch. General information about JWST is available at:  http://jwst.gsfc.nasa.gov