When the joint NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope launches atop an Ariane 5 rocket this December, it will carry with it one of the largest telescopic mirrors ever developed. Considerably larger than the Hubble Space Telescope’s 2.4 m mirror, James Webb’s mirror will be a massive 6.5 diameter mirror, made up of 18 hexagonal, gold-plated beryllium mirror segments.
Furthermore, the mirror of James Webb will be one of the most complex spacecraft systems ever launched, and — to no surprise — it takes an expert team, lots of development, and a plethora of testing to prepare the mirror of James Webb for launch and operation at Lagrange Point 2 (L2).