NASA s James Webb Space Telescope lifts off on historic quest
The world s most powerful space telescope was rocketed off from Earth on Saturday_ marking the beginning of a bold mission to scan the universe for its first stars and any signs of life in the cosmos.
At 7.20 a.m. Eastern Time (1220GMT)_ NASA s James Webb Space Telescope was launched on a European Ariane rocket from French Guiana on the northeastern tip of South America.
In a tweet_ NASA said the mission will herald a new_ exciting decade of science that will change our understanding of space as we know it.
The $10 billion observatory is named after James Webb_ who headed NASA during the early 1960s when the US was headed toward sending men to the moon for the first time.
Its revolutionary technology gives it the ability to explore every phase of cosmic history from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe_ and everything in between_ according to the space agency.
It s going to give us a better understanding of our universe and our place in it: who we are_ what we are_ the search that s eternal_ NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said earlier this week.
But he cautioned: When you want a big reward_ you have to usually take a big risk.
The Webb mission_ seen as the successor to the aging Hubble Space Telescope_ is also partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency.
.png "Advertisement")
