The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

TLDR

A 26‑year vision for an infrared‑optimized 6.5‑m telescope culminated in the James Webb Space Telescope, built by 20,000 people and expected to serve astronomers for two decades. This paper provides a concise history, describes the observatory, outlines its objectives and observing program, and highlights the key inventions and people involved. The authors reference detailed design reports and on‑orbit performance measurements to describe the telescope’s construction and operation. The telescope is operating flawlessly, delivering image quality that exceeds expectations.

Abstract

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.