Webb’s mirror and sunshield

Webb’s mirror and sunshield
The golden mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope, made of 18 hexagonal-shaped segments, will unfold once in space to reach a span of 6.5 m. With this giant mirror, Webb will be able to detect the faint light of distant stars and galaxies. In order to observe infrared light, the telescope is kept permanently shaded from solar radiation by a sunshield the size of a tennis court.