What you need to know!

Webb Quick Start

• Webb Quick Facts | Downloadable Fact Sheet (download: 2.5MB pdf)
• Launch: Webb successfully launched from ESA's spaceport in French Guiana on December 25, 2021 07:20am EST ( 2021-12-25 12:20 GMT/UTC) | Video and More Info
• Spacecraft Deployment : occured during the 2 week period after launch. Webb successfully moved through its complex and unprecedented deployment process, unfolding from its launch configuration into its operational configuration as it travelled to its orbit around L2.
• Orbit: Webb's launch (and mid course corrections) put in on a trajectory into a halo orbit around the second Lagrange point (l2). It is an approximately million mile journey that takes ~1 month.
• Commissioning: occured during the ~6 month post-launch period. After Webb was fully deployed in its first 2 weeks after launch, Webb's cool down to cryogenic operating temperatures was carefully controlled and monitored, which then allowed its mirrors and instruments to be calibrated as various key temperature thresholds were reached and temperatures stablized.
• Webb's First Images: were released immediately after the science instrument commissioning phase concluded. Webb's first deep field image was released on July 11, 2022 by President Joe Biden. The full set of images was released on July 12, 2022.
• Science Operations : began immediately after the instrument commissioning phase was complete. View Webb's science observation programs and schedule.

Featured

• Webb's First Images - RELEASED - July 12, 2022 : View Images | Replay: 1st Images Reveal | Replay: 1st Images Media Briefing | How to View Images | Events Viewing/Celebrating
• First Images Info Packet - Concise "Need To Know" information on the mission and first images release.
• Follow Webb's Story: Blog | Twitter | News | Images | Video
• Webb Fact Sheet (download: 2.5MB pdf)- brief descriptions and facts about the mission and spacecraft.
• Webb Media Kit (download: 27MB pdf) - targeted for media, with links to mission resources and contacts, also contains a more detailed overview of the mission, launch, and spacecraft.
• Webb Blog A frequently updated blog about all things Webb as we move toward launch and through commissioning. We will add posts weekly, every Thursday afternoon.
• Compare Hubble, Webb, and Roman space telescopes (download: 7MB pdf)
• Podcast: NASA's Curious Universe - Join us for a James Webb Space Telescope podcast mini-series as we explore the science, engineering, people, and launch of this historic mission through audio storytelling.
• #UnfoldTheUniverse Art Challenge - Get inspired and show us what you think Webb will discover in our new art challenge. Post your art and tag us with #UnfoldTheUniverse.
• Webb STEAM Day - You are invited to NASA’s Webb Space Telescope STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math) Day virtual interactive event. Registration is FREE and open to the public! The program will feature presentations from Sept. 30 2021 through June 2022. Enjoy!
• Media: Interview Requests etc
• Where Is Webb? Follow the schedule and current status of Webb on its journey to L2 orbit, its deployment, its commissioning and finally the release of its first images and the start of science operations. See Webb in 3d in a 3d solar system ( and compare it to Hubble and other spacecraft in 3d). The page constantly updates as Webb travels, deploys, cools to operating temperature and moves through its commissioning phases ultimately leading to the release of its first images.
• Explore Webb's Deployment and Commissioning Sequence - Webb is the largest telescope ever launched into space. In the ~2 weeks after launch, Webb unfolds from its compact launch configuration into its operational configuration which is nearly the size of a tennis court. From that point, Webb moves through its commissioning phases leading up to the release of it's first images. Explore the entire process interactively and explore status updates, videos, blogs and more as it goes through each step.

Education & Activities:

• Educator materials:
  • OSTEM toolkit for K-12 educators
  • Resources for informal educators:
  • STScI Activity guides (download: docx)
  • STScI Printable materials (download: pdf)
  • STScI Multimedia (download: docx)
  • NASA JPL Webb 101
  • NASA Space Place Webb 101
  • NASA Webb Educator page
• Ways To Participate and Activities
  • Instagram AR Filter
  • AR App
  • Get inspired and show us what you think Webb will discover in our new art challenge. Post your art and tag us with #UnfoldTheUniverse. More information at go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse. You can also browse the amazing art others have produced and submitted for our #JWSTArt campaign.
  • Explore Webb's Deployments Interactively as it will unfold from it's launch configuration through to its final operational configuration.
  • Show your love, use our Webb Themed Virtual Backgrounds as your virtual meeting backgrounds
  • Get creative with Our Coloring Pages, Post and tag us with #ColorWithNASA
  • Fold your own Webb with our Webb Origami Feature
  • Animate Webb's Deployments with our Webb Flip Book
  • Get inspired and make some JWST Art, browse our JWST Art Galleries. Post your art and tag us at #JWSTArt. See the amazing art others have produced and submitted.
  • #UnfoldTheUniverse Art Challenge

    Use your imagination to draw or create what you believe the Webb telescope will find, and then tell us about it in a short video. Your art will have a chance to be featured on NASA’s website and social media channels, and your video may even be selected to be part of the Webb telescope’s launch broadcast!

  • Expand your universe, read and share Webb Key Facts in over 40 languages! Is your language not there? Let us know and help us with a translation!
  • For Halloween : Carve your own Webb Space Pumpkin!
  • Learn the basics of telescopes (and about Webb and Hubble) playing our Scope It Out game
  • Engineer your own space telescope playing our Build It Yourself game.
  • Build a model of Webb with our Paper Model templates and see how far others have taken this activity in our Model Gallery
  • Draw, color and learn with our Webb Fun Pad (download: pdf) - paper and pencil activities for elementary age kids!

Launch and Deployment :

Reexperience the Launch:

• Video: Short Launch Video
• The control room at launch: Full Launch Broadcast Replay
• Images: From packing shipping Webb, through launch prep and Launch
• Webb Launch Info Packet - Concise "Need To Know" information on the mission and the launch.
• Blog Posts About the Launch : 1 | 2
  (NOTE: blog posts appear most recent to oldest on each page, scroll to bottom to read chronologically)

Follow the Deployment & Commissioning

• Where Is Webb? Follow the schedule and current status of Webb on its journey to L2 orbit, its deployment, its commissioning and finally the release of its first images and the start of science operations. See Webb in 3d in a 3d solar system ( and compare it to Hubble and other spacecraft in 3d). The page constantly updates as Webb travels, deploys, cools to operating temperature and moves through its commissioning phases ultimately leading to the release of its first images.
• Explore Webb's Deployment and Commissioning Sequence - Webb is the largest telescope ever launched into space. In the ~2 weeks after launch, Webb unfolds from its compact launch configuration into its operational configuration which is nearly the size of a tennis court. From that point, Webb moves through its commissioning phases leading up to the release of it's first images. Explore the entire process interactively and explore status updates, videos, blogs and more as it goes through each step.
• Blog Posts About the Deployment: 1 | 2 | 3
  (NOTE: blog posts appear most recent to oldest on each page, scroll to bottom to read chronologically)
• Blog Posts Commissioning: 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent
  (NOTE: blog posts appear most recent to oldest on each page, scroll to bottom to read chronologically)
• Read the Latest WEBB News
• Stay Connected follow us on our social media channels:

Resources

• Webb Fact Sheet (download: 2.5MB pdf) Brief facts about the mission and spacecraft.
• Webb Media Kit (download: 27MB pdf) A more detailed look at the mission and spacecraft.
• Webb Blog A frequently updated blog about all things Webb as we move toward launch and through commissioning. We will add posts weekly, every Thursday afternoon.
• For Webb Outreach - Infrared Eyes on the Universe (PPT) ( English | Spanish ) Slide deck introducing the Science and Engineering of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
• For Webb Outreach - Webb First Images Community Event Host Sites ( ~80MB : English | Spanish ) Slide deck for official Webb Community Host Sites to use for First Images celebration events on the day of the release.
• Webb FAQs We've answered just about every question that's ever been asked. In our FAQs section you can drill down through our basic and detailed FAQs and Q&A sessions.
• For Press : Contacts, Links, Images
• News : News Features / Twitter Feed / News Archives
• Webb Video and Animation Gallery from the the GSFC Visualization Studio.
• Image Gallery List : our extensive collection of images of the development, build and launch of Webb Telescope and (and much more) on Flickr
• Video : our extensive collection of Webb Telescope Youtube videos on our Youtube Channel
• NASA TV
• NASA.gov/live