James Webb Space Telescope reaches its final orbit 1.5 million km from Earth

One month after its launch, the James Webb Space Telescope reached its final orbit. NASA confirmed on Monday, January 24 that it is currently 1.5 million km from Earth, which could observe the first galaxies in the universe. It activated its impulses at 8pm to reach the LockRange 2 point, which is ideal for observing the universe. “Come home, web!”, Bill Nelson, the boss of the US space agency, shouted in a press release. “We’re one step closer to unraveling the mysteries of the universe and I can not wait to see the first new images of the universe. [le télescope] Web this summer! “, He added.

In this carefully selected orbit, the Earth, the Sun and the Moon will all be on the other side of its Sun view, ensuring that it operates in the dark and extreme cold, essential for study. The first cosmic radiation passes through its infrared sensors.

This is the third time the telescope has launched its propellants since the launch of the Ariane 5 rocket on December 25. The great impetus provided by the rocket was that the instrument was deliberately lowered to prevent it from exaggerating its target, and without any real hope of return, it had to keep itself there, with little further continuous propulsion.