The US Postal Service will issue a stamp celebrating NASA, ESA and CSA’s new James Webb Space Telescope. It is the largest, most powerful and most complex scientific telescope ever put into space.
The stamp, which features an illustration of the space observatory, was released in a ceremony at the Postal Museum in Washington, has announced US space agency.
“When someone uses these stamps and looks at this telescope, I want them to see what I see: its incredible potential to reveal new and unexpected discoveries that help us understand the origins of the Universe and our place in it,” said Bob Cabana , NASA administrator.
The largest international space science program
“This telescope is the largest international space science program in U.S. history, and I can’t wait to see the scientific breakthroughs it will enable in astronomy.”
Webb, a mission led by NASA in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), was launched on December 25, 2021, from the European Spaceport in French Guiana.
In the following months, Webb traveled to its destination nearly 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, where it went through complex procedures to unfold into its final configuration, and then prepared its mirrors and science instruments to capture the spectacular images of outer space.
The stamp celebrates the first images taken by the Webb Telescope
NASA released Webb’s first images and color spectra on July 12, 2022 – providing a first look at the observatory’s powerful capabilities. The US Postal Service stamp honors these achievements as Webb continues his mission to explore the unknown of our universe and study every phase of cosmic history.
“I am delighted to add this beautiful stamp to our collection as we watch from the ground as humanity’s newest and most capable telescope reveals the greatest secrets of our cosmos that have been waiting to be revealed since the dawn of time.” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA administrator. “The Webb Telescope is the beginning of a new era of what we can achieve for the benefit of all.”