The "Eye of Humanity" Unlocking Space Secrets, Focus Achieved... Full Operation Starts in June [Reading Science]

NASA "James Webb Space Telescope Completes Equipment Calibration, Enters Test Operation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Humanity's eye to unveil the secrets of the primordial universe's Big Bang, the 12 trillion won state-of-the-art 'James Webb Space Telescope,' has finally completed the calibration of various instruments and entered trial operation.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on the 28th (local time) that the James Webb Space Telescope has completed the calibration of all scientific instruments, including the 18-segment primary mirror and four observation instruments, and is ready to produce clear and well-focused images. NASA also released images taken during the trial operation after calibration of the Webb telescope.

NASA plans to conduct trial operations for about two months to verify that the primary mirror, observation instruments, and other scientific equipment are functioning properly, and aims to complete this process and begin full-scale observations by June.

The Webb telescope is equipped with cutting-edge observation instruments developed at a total cost of 10 billion dollars (approximately 12 trillion won) by the United States, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It can observe the universe with more than 100 times the performance of the existing Hubble Space Telescope. Launched on December 25 last year, it arrived about a month later at the Lagrange Point 2, where the gravitational forces of the Earth and the Sun balance, allowing it to maintain its orbit without additional energy consumption. Since then, calibration work has been underway to cool the 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror composed of 18 segments, the secondary mirror, and four observation instruments to cryogenic temperatures (around -230 to -260 degrees Celsius) and to focus them.

NASA plans to release the first official observation data and images at the end of June or early July after the trial operation. NASA experts expect the first observation target to be the Large Magellanic Cloud. The Large Magellanic Cloud is a galaxy about 170,000 light-years away from Earth and is known to still be forming stars. NASA also expects the Webb telescope to capture evidence that the universe has continued to expand since the Big Bang. It is also anticipated that the telescope will be able to confirm whether 'Earendel,' the farthest object observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, is truly a star.