NASA scientists and engineers are currently putting together and testing their new James Webb Space Telescope in their search for life on other planets.
Webb is set to be debut in October 2018, according to Science Magazine.
The telescope is being developed at the Goddard Space Flight Center, and the tools to build it will remain in the "clean room", the area where scientists will put Webb together. Researchers must take an air shower and put on a full-body clean suit and gloves before entering the room, Phys.org reported.
"Going into the clean room is like going into an operating room," said Ray Lundquist, a Webb telescope systems engineer. Lundquist added that the mirror must always be clean so that images taken can be shown in the highest quality.
Webb will use four tools to find light from distant galaxies and celestial objects, according to Phys.org. The Near InfraRed Camera, Webb's main camera, will detect light from earlier galaxies and stars. The Near InfraRed Spectrograph can examine 100 objects at the same time, and will help scientists study temperature, chemical components and mass of celestial bodies.
The third tool is the Mid-InfraRed Instrument, which will be used to find far-away galaxies and new stars. The final tool is the Fine Guidance Sensor/Near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (FGS-NIRISS), which will help Webb accurately point and take images in high-definition, allowing Webb to find planets outside the solar system.
Webb telescope project scientist Matthew Greenhouse said the building process will be challenging, Phys.org reported. The observatory must be prepared to handle extreme temperature and the telescope's launch. Webb's main mirror weighs 6 metric tons and has to fold up inside the rocket in order to reach space. The mirror has to be large in order to find distant objects.
"We needed a primary mirror that is bigger in diameter than the biggest rocket," Greenhouse said.
Webb will be launched from the European Space Complex in Kourou, French Guiana. The telescope will be moved to NASA's Johnson Space in Houston for final testing during its last year of production, Phys.org reported.
"This will rewrite the books on astronomy and engineering," said Mike Menzel, Webb Telescope NASA systems engineer.
