The James Webb Space Telescope: Mission overview and status

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the infrared successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It is a cryogenic infrared space observatory with a 25 m² aperture (6 m class) telescope yielding diffraction limited angular resolution at a wavelength of 2 um. The science instrument payload includes three passively cooled near-infrared instruments providing broad - and narrow-band imagery, coronagraphy, as well as multi-object and integral-field spectroscopy over the 0.6 <; λ <; 5.0 um spectrum. An actively cooled mid-infrared instrument provides broad-band imagery, coronagraphy, and integral-field spectroscopy over the 5.0 <; λ <; 29 um spectrum. The JWST is being developed by NASA, in partnership with the European and Canadian Space Agencies, as a general user facility with science observations to be proposed by the international astronomical community in a manner similar to the Hubble Space Telescope. Technology development and mission design are complete, and construction is underway in all areas of the program.