The James Webb Space Telescope has completed 13 of 17 deployment and testing activities, also known as commissioning. The process has already produced some noteworthy images.
On Wednesday morning, mission leaders provided an update on what the public can expect when NASA releases Webb's first proper mission images on July 12.
"We're going to give humanity a new view of the cosmos, and it's a view we've never seen before," said NASA administrator Bill Nelson.
Scientists chose initial targets that demonstrate the observatory's unmatched capabilities.
The images will include the deepest infrared view of the universe to date, peering back to the earliest, faintest and smallest galaxies, as well as the births and deaths of stars, and the instrument's first exoplanet spectrum.
"This is farther than humanity has ever looked before, and we're only beginning to understand what Webb can and will do," said Nelson.
Webb will let scientists observe objects and processes beyond previous capabilities, providing new insights into star clusters and neutron star collisions.
