“After Webb, we will never look at the sky as before”, launches the boss of Arianespace

While the launch of the James Webb space telescope by an Ariane 5 rocket, several times delayed, is scheduled for December 24 in Kourou, Arianespace boss Stéphane Israël is delighted this Monday on France Inter: “After Webb, we’ll never look at the sky like we used to“.

The telescope that cost nearly $ 10 billion “is a very beautiful object“, indicates Stéphane Israël. James Webb”will accomplish something absolutely fantastic“, it will be” 100 times more powerful than its predecessor Hubble. Thanks to infrared imagery, it will be able to capture more than 70% more light and Webb is a time machine: it will bring us closer to the big bang more than 13 billion years ago, and doing that we will better understand the secrets of the universe“, says the boss of Arianespace.

Stéphane Israël recognizes that the telescope’s lifespan is short, “5 years“, so “the big agencies are going to have slots reserved for Webb. The European Space Agency which is on board will be entitled to certain images and in particular it will look at the exoplanets and we will see if there are any suspicions of things that would allow life on the exoplanets.“.