Webb unfolding sequence

The James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. As part of the international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the observatory’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle.

During the first month in space, on its way to the second Langrange point (L2), Webb will undergo a complex unfolding sequence. Key steps in this sequence are unfolding Webb’s sunshield – a five-layer, diamond-shaped structure the size of a tennis court ¬– and the iconic 6.5-metre wide mirror, consisting of a honeycomb-like pattern of 18 hexagonal, gold-coated mirror segments.

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).