The most ambitious astronomy mission ever attempted is set to begin. The James Webb Space Telescope has been 30 years in the making – now it’s nearly ready to launch.
The $10bn (£7bn) project, a collaboration between Nasa, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, hopes to look further back in time than ever before – to find out more about the creation of the first stars and the beginnings of our Universe.
But how exactly will it work?
The BBC’s Science Editor Rebecca Morelle explains.
