DAVID HIGGINBOTHAM
Image Credit: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham
25 Years In the Making, the James Webb Telescope Is Coming to Science Channel
The world’s most powerful observatory - the James Webb Space Telescope – is set for launch later this month after more than 25 years of development and construction. Science Channel, the leader of all things space, will take viewers inside this incredible feat of technology and its launch with two specials airing Tuesday, December 21 at 10 PM ET/PT with a Post-Launch Special to air Sunday, December 26 at 10 PM ET/PT.
BEYOND HUBBLE: THE TELESCOPE OF TOMORROW, airing Tuesday, December 21 at 10 PM ET/PT on Science Channel, has everything you need to know about the upcoming launch. Taking place in French Guiana, the special will feature the story of the telescope’s construction, its extensive testing, and preparation. Using the latest CGI animation technology, Science Channel will follow the journey and share the incredible cosmological images and mysteries that scientists believe the telescope will capture.
Image Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn
Then on Sunday, December 26 at 10 PM ET/PT, Science Channel will broadcast a follow-up special that will include all the exciting moments from its launch. The telescope’s infrared vision has the ability to probe the atmosphere of any Earth-like planets with incredible detail. It will revolutionize our understanding of how the universe works and unlock its greatest mystery – how did our solar system form and are we alone in the cosmos?
This super-telescope is the next-generation successor to the Hubble Space Telescope with a mirror 6 times bigger. The estimated cost of constructing and operating the telescope is close to $10 billion. The telescope will also be able to peer back in time. For the first time in space exploration, scientists will be able to explore the formation of the first stars and galaxies and search for planets that can support life. But just what will it see?
Image Credit: NASA/Desiree Stover
Both specials will reveal the story behind this pioneering mission through the eyes and experiences of the team behind it. It is an engineering feat like no other. The telescope is more powerful than any observatory built to date – detecting light 44 times fainter than current space-based telescopes. Will we once and for all unlock the many cosmic mysteries that have remained a secret? And what mysteries have we yet to uncover? This is a pivotal moment in space history.
