Timeline of the James Webb Space Telescope
[1][2] It is intended to be the premier observatory of the 2020s, combining the largest mirror yet on a near-infrared space telescope with a suite of technologically advanced instruments from around the world.
[4] The limiting factor is expected to be fuel to maintain its halo orbit, of which there is enough for at least ten years.
[4] It was announced in December 2021 that due to the accuracy of the orbital insertion and course correction burns, the telescope had more fuel available than originally planned and could operate for "significantly" longer than the original ten year planned life span.
[5] JWST cost approximately $10 billion in its design, construction, and five years of operations (does not include extended mission funding), as well as international contributions.
[6][7] Nearly a month after launch, a trajectory correction was initiated to place the James Webb Space Telescope into a halo orbit at L2.
![This frame is split down the middle. Webb’s mid-infrared image is shown at left, and Webb’s near-infrared image on the right. The mid-infrared image appears much darker, with many fewer points of light. Stars have very short diffraction spikes. Galaxies and stars also appear in a range of colors, including blue, green, yellow, and red. The near-infrared image appears busier, with many more points of light. Thousands of galaxies and stars appear all across the view. They are sharper and more distinct than what is seen in the mid-infrared view. Some galaxies are shades of orange, while others are white. Most stars appear blue with long diffraction spikes, forming an eight-pointed star shapes. There are also many thin, long, orange arcs that curve around the center of the image.[54]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Webb%E2%80%99s_First_Deep_Field_%28MIRI_and_NIRCam_Images_Side_by_Side%29_%28weic2209b%29.jpeg/297px-Webb%E2%80%99s_First_Deep_Field_%28MIRI_and_NIRCam_Images_Side_by_Side%29_%28weic2209b%29.jpeg)