On This Day in Space History

A CHRONICLE OF SPACEFLIGHT

THE SPACE RACE · THE SHUTTLE ERA · ROBOTIC EXPLORATION · 1957–PRESENT

Welcome to On This Day A daily chronicle of humanity in space — the launches, landings, spacewalks, and firsts that mark the space age. Start here. Read the welcome →
December 25
James Webb Space Telescope
Mission
James Webb Space Telescope
Series
NASA
Venue
Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana
Date
December 25, 2021
Agency
NASA
Nickname
James Webb Space Telescope launches
Crew
John Mather
Bill Nelson

James Webb Space Telescope launches

The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful space observatory ever built, launched on an ESA Ariane 5 rocket on Christmas Day. Developed by NASA with ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, it began peering deeper into the early universe than any instrument before it.

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