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James Webb Space Telescope

Goal leaders

Mark Clampin

Astrophysics Division Director

Science Mission Directorate (NASA)

Eric Smith

Program Scientist

James Webb Space Telescope Program, Science Mission Directorate (NASA)

To achieve

After launch, deployment, and start of science operations, the James Webb Space Telescope will study every phase in the history of our universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of other stellar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own solar system. By September 30, 2023, NASA will complete commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful and complex space telescope ever built, and begin Webb’s Cycle 2 observations.