<P> The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope that will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope . The JWST will offer unprecedented resolution and sensitivity, and will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology . One of its major goals is observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe, such as the formation of the first galaxies . These types of targets are beyond the reach of current ground - and space - based instruments . Other goals include understanding the formation of stars and planets, and direct imaging of exoplanets and novas . </P> <P> The JWST's primary mirror is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments made of gold - coated beryllium . These combine to create a mirror with a diameter of 6.5 meters (21 ft 4 in)--much larger than the Hubble's 2.4 - meter (7.9 ft) mirror . Unlike the Hubble--which observes in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectra--the JWST will observe in the long - wavelength visible light through the mid-infrared (0.6 to 27 μm) range . This will allow the JWST to observe high redshift objects that are too old and too distant for the Hubble and other earlier instruments to observe . The telescope must be kept very cold to observe in the infrared without interference, so it will be deployed in space near the Earth--Sun L Lagrangian point, and a large sunshield made of five sheets of silicon - and aluminum - coated Kapton will keep JWST's mirror and four science instruments below 50 K (− 220 ° C; − 370 ° F). </P> <P> The JWST is being developed by NASA--with significant contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the European Space Agency--and is named after James E. Webb, the American government official who was the administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968 and played an integral role in the Apollo program . Development began in 1996, but the project has had numerous delays and cost overruns, and underwent a major redesign during 2005 . In December 2016, NASA announced that construction of the JWST was complete and that its extensive testing phase would begin . In March 2018, NASA delayed the JWST's launch after the telescope's sunshield ripped during a practice deployment . The JWST's launch was delayed again in June 2018 following recommendations from an independent review board, and is currently scheduled for March 2021 . </P> <P> The JWST originated in 1996 as the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). In 2002 it was renamed after NASA's second administrator (1961--1968) James E. Webb (1906--1992), noted for playing a key role in the Apollo program and establishing scientific research as a core NASA activity . The JWST is a project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States space agency, with international collaboration from the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency . </P>

What is the status of the james webb telescope
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