The world's most powerful space telescope blasted off into the sky on Saturday, headed to an outpost 1.5 million kilometres away.
The Ariane 5 rocket that carried the James Webb Space Telescope left Earth in the middle of the night in French Guiana.
It will take a month to reach its destination.
NASA Webb is in space with a solar array that draws power from the Sun. The telescope's sun shield can protect it from radiation and heat, but it needs to be pointed in the right direction.
>
December 25, 2021.
It will help scientists understand more about the origins of the Universe and Earth-like planets beyond our solar system.
While following in the footsteps of the Hubble, the former NASA director named after him wants to show humans what the Universe looked like 14 billion years ago.
John Mather described the telescope's sensitivity on social media.
He said that the heat signature of a bumblebee can be seen at the distance of the Moon.
The NASA Webb Space Telescope has lifted off.
>
The beginning of a new, exciting decade of science was visible from the sky at 7:20am. We know space as we know it, but the mission of #UnfoldTheUniverse will change that.
>
December 25, 2021.
The first stars being formed and the weak glow emitted billions of years ago by the very first galaxies require all that power.
'Exceptional measures'
The telescope is large and complex.
The mirror is three times the size of the Hubble's mirror and made of 18 hexagonal sections.
It had to be folded to fit into the rocket.
The telescope has been revealed for the first time in space. We have received the data from the observatory.
>
December 25, 2021.
NASA imposed strict isolation measures to limit any contact with the telescope's mirrors from particles or even humans.
The protective nose of the craft, called a "fairing", is shed to lighten the load after 120 kilometres.
Arianespace installed a custom decompression system to protect the delicate instrument.
An official from the European Space Agency said that there were exceptional measures for an exceptional client.
The solar array has successfully deployed, and the batteries are charging up.
>
December 25, 2021.
The first stage of the flight was successful about 27 minutes after launch.
The challenge will be to fully deploy the mirror and sun shield once it reaches its station.
The process will take two weeks and must be perfect if it is to work correctly.
Hubble has been 600 kilometres above the Earth since 1990.
It was decided that the Earth, the Sun and the Moon would all be on the same side of the sun shield because of the location of the Lagrange 2 point.
In June, he is expected to enter service.
Agence France-Presse.
