When the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched in December 2021, it wasn't just a rocket launch; it was the start of the most complex deployment sequence in space history. As the most sophisticated piece of technology ever sent to the stars, the JWST promised to reveal the universe as we have never seen it before—from the atmospheres of exoplanets to the earliest galaxies born after the Big Bang.
This gripping NOVA documentary chronicles the decades-long struggle of NASA engineers to make their ambitious design a reality. Witness the nerve-wracking journey from design and construction to the high-stakes deployment at Lagrange Point 2. It is a compelling story of human ingenuity, engineering risks, and the ultimate reward: unprecedented images of our cosmos.
Highlights:
Follow the dramatic story of the telescope's construction and testing.
See the intricate "origami" engineering required to fit the massive mirror inside a rocket.
Relive the "29 days of terror" as the telescope unfolded in deep space.
View the stunning first images that changed astronomy forever.
Product Specifications:
Studio: PBS Distribution
Format: DVD (NTSC)
Run Time: 55 Minutes
Release Year: 2022
Region: Region 1 (US & Canada). International customers: Please ensure your player supports Region 1 NTSC discs.
🔭 From the Desk of Paul Bracken:
As someone who spends nights trying to capture photons from deep space in my backyard, the James Webb is the ultimate dream machine. What blows my mind isn't just the images—it's the engineering. The fact that they had to fold that tennis-court-sized sunshield and those gold-plated mirrors to fit inside a rocket fairing, and then unfold it perfectly a million miles away from Earth... it's just staggering.
If you want to understand why the images I sell (and the ones NASA releases) are so special, you have to see the machines that take them. This documentary captures that "hold your breath" excitement perfectly.
