The golden mirror of NASA's new observatory is being built.
The panel that carries the three leftmost segments of the primary mirror was unfolded on Friday. The telescope is close to its final form after the successful maneuver.
The primary mirror is in its final shape. The first of the two primary mirror wings was successfully deployed and latched today, according to NASA officials.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission is live.
The James Webb Space Telescope works in pictures.
Team members will repeat the process on the starboard side of the observatory on Saturday. The procedure will be broadcast live from mission control. The time is 1400 GMT.
After the observatory's launch on December 25th, the major steps will be completed with the two panel deployment. NASA will hold a news conference on Saturday to celebrate the milestone. The time is 1830 GMT.
The primary mirror will be 21 feet across. The arrangement of the individual mirror segments will be changed in the coming days, according to a deployment timeline provided by NASA. The team will adjust the mirror segments throughout the five-month process, which will turn the view from a patchwork of 18 frames into one smooth image.
The observatory has about two more weeks to travel before it reaches its station, which is located on the side opposite the sun. The first two course correction burns were performed shortly after the launch.
Science observations are expected to begin this summer.
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