<P> The Webb telescope will offer unprecedented resolution and sensitivity from the long - wavelength (orange to red) visible light through the mid-infrared (0.6 to 27 μm) range . JWST's capabilities will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology . One particular goal involves 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 . Some other goals include understanding the formation of stars and planets, and direct imaging of exoplanets and novas . </P> <P> In gestation since 1996, the JWST is part of NASA's Flagship program . The telescope is named after James E. Webb, who was the second administrator of NASA and played an integral role in the Apollo program . NASA has described JWST as the scientific successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, but not a replacement, because the capabilities are not identical . The JWST idea arose from a desire in the late 1980s and 1990s to see high redshift objects, older and farther away than previous instruments could assess . The result was a decision to extend the life of Hubble until the "Next Generation Space Telescope" (as it was then called) could go online and to investigate designs that would enable it to obtain images deeper into the infrared than Hubble, and beyond the capabilities of earlier space observatories such as the Infrared Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope . </P> <P> In December 2016, NASA announced that the JWST had passed major milestones, including completion of its primary mirror and integration of science instruments with the payload module, and had begun undergoing acoustic and extreme vibration testing to simulate launch conditions . In March 2018, NASA delayed the JWST's launch an additional year after the telescope's sunshield ripped during a practice deployment and the sunshield's cables did not sufficiently tighten . The JWST is currently scheduled to launch in May 2020 . </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>

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