NASA reached a major milestone as it completed the telescope portion of James Webb Telescope.

The telescope has been under development for the past 20 years. The telescope was assembled at Goddard Space Flight Center. Following the completion of telescope optics, it will be subjected to some preflight tests ahead of its scheduled launch in 2018.

Upon its launch, the James Webb Telescope will be the most powerful and largest telescope in operation. The telescope can observe the galaxies which formed close to the Big Bang, using its infrared technology. Its array of 18 hexagonal mirrors will be used to gather the light. Before the telescope is sent into orbit, the mirrors will undergo a series of acoustic and vibrational testing.

The space telescope project started in 1996. However, it suffered many setbacks. The James Webb Telescope was scheduled to be launched in 2014 and had a budget of $5.1 billion. However, over time, its launch date was pushed back to 2018 with its cost rising to $8.7 billion. The telescope is designed to be a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

NASA collaborated with Canadian and European space agencies to develop the telescope. The telescope will now be tested for its ruggedness. The equipment will be tested for vibrations and acoustics at the Goddard Space Center in Maryland. It will be subjected to 150 decibels of noise to test its capacity to bear noises. The equipment will then be taken to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for cryogenic testing.