We may not be able to travel back in time, but once the currently-under-construction James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is completed, we’ll be able to see 13 billion light years into space! That’s far enough back to witness the creation of the universe’s first stars and galaxies! To achieve this, an extraordinary instrument is needed; in fact, no less than what, come 2018, will be the biggest telescope ever sent into orbit.
An Inside Glimpse of the World's Biggest Space Telescope
Image: Ball Aerospace
Cryogenic testing being performed on the telescope’s flight mirrors at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama