NASA’s new space telescope opened its huge gold-plated flower-shaped mirror on Saturday, the latest step in the observatory’s spectacular deployment.

The last part of the 21-foot (6.5-meter) mirror fell into place at the request of flight controllers, completing the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope.

“I’m emotional about it. What an incredible step. We now see this beautiful pattern in the sky, ”said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA science chief.

More powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, the $ 10 billion Webb will scan the cosmos for light from the first stars and galaxies formed 13.7 billion years ago. To do this, NASA had to equip Webb with the largest and most sensitive mirror ever launched – his “golden eye,” as scientists call it.

Webb is so big he had to be bent like an orgami to fit in the rocket that left South America two weeks ago. The riskiest operation occurred earlier in the week, when the tennis court-sized sun visor deployed, providing sub-zero shadow for the mirror and infrared sensors.

Baltimore flight controllers began opening the main mirror on Friday, unfolding the left side like a drop-down table. The mood was even more upbeat on Saturday, with upbeat music filling the control room as the right side fell into place. After cheering, the controllers immediately got back to work, locking everything down.

This mirror is made of beryllium, a light metal but sturdy and resistant to cold. Each of its 18 segments is covered with an ultra-thin layer of gold, highly reflective of infrared light. The coffee table sized hexagonal segments need to be adjusted in the days and weeks to come so that they can focus as one on stars, galaxies and alien worlds that may contain atmospheric signs of life. .

Webb is expected to reach his destination 1.6 million kilometers (1.6 million kilometers) away in two weeks. If all goes well, scientific observations will begin this summer. Astronomers hope to look within 100 million years of the Big Bang that formed the universe, closer than Hubble did.

PA