Episode Details

Soon the highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope will blast off into space, hurtling almost a million miles away from Earth, where it will orbit the Sun. Decades in the making, scientists hope its mission will last a decade and provide insights into all kinds of things, including the early formation of galaxies just after the Big Bang.

Curious about the extraterrestrial facets of our universe? Email the show your questions at shortwave@npr.org. We might be able to beg Nell to find answers and come back on the show.