NASA, in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), will release the James Webb Space Telescope’s first full-color images and spectroscopic data during a televised broadcast beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 12, from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Released one by one, these first images from the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope will demonstrate Webb at its full power, ready to begin its mission to unfold the infrared universe.
Each image will simultaneously be made available on social media as well as on the agency’s website at:
Embargoed access to Webb’s first images will not be available prior to their public release.
The following is a list of activities leading up to release (all times Eastern):
Wednesday, June 29
Media Day at Webb’s Mission Operations Center
NASA will host a media day at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 29. The event will include a media briefing on the status of Webb’s commissioning as well as overviews of planned science for Webb’s first year of operations and Webb image processing.
On-site attendees can tour Webb’s Mission Operations Control facilities, including the Flight Control Room, and conduct interviews with mission experts.
Media must register their interest in participating by completing this form by 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 21, for in-person, and by 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 28, for virtual.
NASA and STScI will soon provide further details to those who register their interest, including the full media day schedule and COVID-19 safety protocols. Due to space limitations, NASA and STScI may be unable to accommodate all requests for on-site attendance.
Tuesday, July 12
Image Release Day
- 10:30 a.m. – Live coverage of the image release broadcast will air on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. The public also can watch live on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and Daily Motion.
- 12 p.m. – Following the live broadcast, NASA and its partners will hold a joint media briefing at NASA Goddard. The briefing will livestream on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. The list of media briefing participants is forthcoming, and this advisory will be updated with details later.
Media interested in participating in-person must complete this form by 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 21.
- 3 p.m. – Live Interview Opportunities: From approximately 3 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12, and 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, Webb mission experts will be available to conduct live, remote interviews with broadcast media. Experts will be available to conduct interviews in both English and Spanish. More details about scheduling these interviews will be made available closer to the date. Members of the media seeking interviews outside of these windows should complete this media interview request form.
NASA’s media accreditation policy for on-site and virtual activities is available online. The agency will soon provide further details to those who register their interest, including COVID-19 safety protocols. Due to space limitations, NASA may be unable to accommodate all requests for on-site attendance. Media and members of the public may ask questions on social media using #UnfoldtheUniverse.
Wednesday, July 13
3 p.m.: NASA Science Live
Webb experts will answer questions about the first images and data in a NASA Science Live show. The broadcast, Webb’s First Full-Color Images Explained, will air live on the NASA Science Live website, as well as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Viewers of this episode can submit questions on social media using the hashtag #UnfoldtheUniverse or by leaving a comment in the chat section of the Facebook or YouTube stream.
At the same time, NASA also will broadcast a live social media event in Spanish on its NASA en español YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Webb experts Begoña Vila and Néstor Espinoza will discuss the release of the first images and take questions from followers.
NASA Social
The agency also will host an in-person NASA Social Tuesday, July 12, and Wednesday, July 13. Participants will join as guests for the in-studio filming of the televised broadcast at NASA Goddard, tour NASA Goddard and STScI facilities, and interact with experts from the Webb mission.
Webb Community Events
The public can also join in the excitement of Webb’s first full-color images by attending one of the many official Webb Space Telescope Community Events taking place across the country this summer. The list of events celebrating Webb’s first images is available online and updated frequently.
Webb, an international partnership with ESA and CSA, launched Dec. 25 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. After unfolding into its final form in space and successfully reaching its destination 1 million miles from Earth, the observatory now is completing the months-long process of preparing for science operations. Webb will explore every phase of cosmic history – from within the solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between.
Stay connected with the mission and share your experience with Webb’s first images on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with #UnfoldTheUniverse. Follow and tag these accounts:
