N° 31–2021: James Webb Space Telescope launch – media opportunities

Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. It follows in the footsteps of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope as the next great space science observatory, designed to answer outstanding questions about the Universe and to make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. As well as launch services, ESA contributes to two of the four science instruments, and provides personnel to support mission operations. Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Media will have the opportunity to cover the launch from:

• Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, Webb’s launch site.
• Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Webb’s mission operations site.
• ESA’s technical hub and test facility ESTEC, in Noordwijk, Netherlands, for a launch day event.
• Canadian Space Agency Headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, Canada, site for a launch day event.

In addition, a variety of online media events will be organised in the weeks leading up to launch.

NASA and its mission partners will host a briefing at 15.00 CEST on 8 October 2021 for media interested in covering the James Webb Space Telescope launch. For more information about this Webb Telescope launch coverage discussion with journalists, please click here:

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-webb-telescope-launch-coverage-discussion

Media accreditations for all the launch events are not open yet, but you can already raise interest in the media activities and raise any questions you might have:

https://blogs.esa.int/forms/esa-media-briefing-form/

 

Please note:

-          related costs and expenses will have to be borne by the participating media;
-          because the number of places is limited, ESA cannot guarantee all interested media will be able to join the activities

Further information

https://www.esa.int/Webb

Launch media kit: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Webb/James_Webb_Space_Telescope_launch_kit

Social media

Twitter: @esa, @ESA_Webb, @esascience

Instagram: Europeanspaceagency
Facebook: EuropeanSpaceAgency
YouTube: ESA

Hashtags: #Webb, #WebbSeesFarther, #WebbFliesAriane

Images

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=webb&result_type=images

Terms and conditions for using ESA images:
www.esa.int/spaceinimages/ESA_Multimedia/Copyright_Notice_Images

For questions or more information related to ESA images, please contact directly spaceinimages@esa.int.

Videos

B-Rolls set for media distribution

James Webb Space Telescope
https://www.esa.int/esatv/Videos/2021/09/James_Webb_Space_Telescope

Animations
Webb NIRSpec multi-object spectrograph
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2021/09/Webb_NIRSpec_multi-object_spectrograph
Webb NIRSpec integral field units principle animation
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2021/09/Webb_NIRSpec_integral_field_units_principle_animation
Webb MIRI imaging-mode animation
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2021/09/Webb_MIRI_imaging-mode_animation
Webb MIRI spectroscopy animation
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2021/09/Webb_MIRI_spectroscopy_animation

More videos https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Search?SearchText=webb&result_type=videos

Terms and conditions for using ESA videos:https://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Terms_and_Conditions

For questions or more information related to ESA videos, please contact directly spaceinvideos@esa.int.

About the European Space Agency

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 22 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Slovenia, Latvia and Lithuania are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with five Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working in particular with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

For further information:

ESA Newsroom and Media Relations Office – Ninja Menning

Email: media@esa.int

Tel: +31 71 565 6409