Nasa launches the world’s largest and most powerful infrared telescope into space on Christmas.
The telescope will help researchers to examine stars and galaxies, as well as help, find the source of life.
Scientists from Nasa collaborate with European and Canadian Space Agencies to launch the ‘James Webb space telescope’.
“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.
“When you want a big reward, you have to usually take a big risk,” he added.
Thousands of people from 29 countries worked on this project which started in the 90s and finished in 2021.
Arianespace’s chief executive Stéphane Israël said, “We launch for humanity this morning. After Webb, we will never see the skies in quite the same way.”
Scientists hope that will allow the observatory to peer back in time 13.7bn years – to a point within a mere 100m years of the big bang.
