The James Webb Space Telescope successfully completed the final phase of its mission, its main mirror, on Saturday, and is now in its final configuration, and within five months it will begin exploring the universe, AFP writes.

The main mirror of the telescope is about 6.5 meters in diameter, so when it was launched two weeks ago it was too large to fit in the rocket. Therefore, both sides must be folded.

NASA said the first of the two sections opened on Friday and the second on Saturday morning as planned.

Deploying such a telescope in space, not only its mirrors, but also its thermal shield earlier this week, is an extremely dangerous process that has never happened before.

However, before it can be activated, the telescope must reach its final orbit 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, and cooling must continue before scientific instruments can be accurately calibrated.

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European space port of Kauro in French Guiana.

JWST is a joint venture between NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies. Teams have been working on this project for more than two decades.

He is the $ 10 billion successor to the Veteran Hubble Telescope. Launched in 1990, the Hubble Telescope provided scientists with stunning images of the universe, which, despite numerous repairs, remained operational and highly efficient.

The James Webb Telescope is considered to be rugged and built to withstand strong shocks and noises. It is 100 times more powerful than Hubble.

It is designed to make in-depth observations of the universe of its predecessor. His goal is to observe the first stars to appear in the universe.

With his help, scientists hope to study the atmospheres of distant planets, hoping to find signs of life. JWST will be 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.

The Next Generation Space Telescope was renamed James Webb in 2002 in honor of James Edwin Webb (1906-1992), U.S. government official and undersecretary of state from 1949 to 1952. He was NASA’s second administrator. The first human missions through the Mercury and Gemini programs.

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