▲ Ariane 5 rocket carrying the Webb Space Telescope flying into space
The largest and most powerful 'James Webb Space Telescope' (JWST), which will succeed the Hubble Space Telescope, was launched on Christmas Day.
The Webb telescope was launched on the Ariane 5 rocket from the European Space Agency's (ESA) launch site 'Guiana Space Center' near Kourou, French Guiana around 9:20 pm today (25th) our time.
The Webb telescope has 100 times better performance than the Hubble Space Telescope, and has been completed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Space Agency, and Canada Space Agency with over 11.5 trillion won since 1996.
It is the largest and most powerful space telescope in human history with a mirror diameter of only 6.5m and the size of a tennis court.
The Webb telescope will be deployed at a distance of 1.5 million km from Earth, and after about six months of preparation, it will begin observing the universe in infrared light next summer.
(Photo = NASA TV capture, Yonhap News)