James Webb Space Telescope extends its tower assembly to make way for sunshield deployment

The James Webb Space Telescope is one step closer to finishing the deployment of its massive sunshield.  On Wednesday (Dec. 29), the huge new space observatory successfully extended its deployable tower assembly (DTA), a 48-inch-long (1.2 meters) shaft that connects the telescope’s two halves, NASA officials said in a statement.  The James Webb Space Telescope‘s … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope begins unfolding delicate, massive sunshield

NASA’s massive new space observatory has entered its most perilous phase yet as it begins the careful process of unfurling its delicate sunshield. The James Webb Space Telescope launched on Sunday (Dec. 25) and will be a revolutionary new observatory focused on studying the universe in infrared light. But first, it has to survive a … Read more