In this NASA handout picture released on July 25, 2014, the sunshade test device used for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is in the clean room of the Northrop Grumman factory in Redondo Beach, California Medium stacking and expansion. REUTERS/NASA/Chris Gunn/Handout

Washington, December 14 (Reuters)-It was completed for several years at a cost much higher than planned, but the NASA James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch next week, may usher in a new era of astronomy because It can collect information about the earliest stages of the universe, star formation, and whether planets outside the solar system are suitable for life.

The Orbital Infrared Observatory is about 100 times more sensitive than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, and is scheduled to be launched on December 22 on the Ariane 5 rocket from a location in French Guiana on the northeastern coast of South America.

Klaus Pontoppidan, a Weber project scientist and astronomer at the Baltimore Space Telescope Science Institute, said: "We are about to embark on this amazing journey of discovery." "We really mean discovery, because Weber Have the raw power to reveal the unexpected. We can plan what we think we will see. But at the end of the day, we know that nature will often surprise us."

The telescope has four scientific instruments and is an international cooperation project led by NASA and European and Canadian space agencies. Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) is the main contractor. The launch vehicle is part of Europe's contribution.

Its development cost is 8.8 billion U.S. dollars, and operating expenses are expected to bring its total price to approximately 9.66 billion U.S. dollars. The U.S. Government Accountability Office stated that since NASA established a cost benchmark in 2009 after an earlier cost overrun, prices have almost doubled. NASA had hoped to launch it in 2011, but the date has been repeatedly delayed.

Scientists plan to use telescopes to understand all stages of the history of the universe, dating back to after the Big Bang event about 13.8 billion years ago, while also studying exoplanets — planets outside the solar system — and the world closer to us, such as Our planetary neighbors are the moons of Mars and Saturn, Titan.

Weber mainly uses infrared to observe the universe, while Hubble has mainly inspected it at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths since its launch in 1990. Weber has a larger light collection area, allowing it to see farther away, and therefore farther than Hubble.

"We are looking forward to this, and we are very, very close," said Greg Robinson, director of the Webb program at NASA's Washington headquarters.

The telescope traveled from California through the Panama Canal to Pariacapo Port on the Kuru River. After a 16-day sea voyage, the telescope arrived in French Guiana in October. After launch, it will be deployed to an orbit farther than Hubble and beyond the moon during a one-month journey of one million miles (1.6 million kilometers).

"We will observe everything in the universe that we can see. We want to know: How did we get here from the Big Bang and how does it work? So, we will look at it," said John Mather, based in Maryland. Weber Senior Project Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, California.

Its mission objectives include finding the first galaxies or luminous objects formed after the Big Bang, and understanding how galaxies have evolved from their birth to the present.

"We want to see the first galaxies that are growing," Mather said.

The goal also includes observing the formation of stars and surrounding planets. Mather said that Weber can peek into the gas and dust clouds where stars are born. Until now, the dust in those clouds has blocked the sight.

"Infrared light bypasses the dust particles instead of bounced off, so we can see this with the Webb telescope. This is one of our primary goals-to see how stars grow and their young planets," Mather said.

An instrument called a spectrometer can study the atmosphere of exoplanets. Mather said it would be "very interesting" to find one that contains a lot of water-considered one of the key components of life. As he said: "A small wet planet may be a bit like home."

Our standard: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Subscribe to our daily featured newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters reports sent to your inbox.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people around the world every day. Reuters provides business, financial, domestic and international news directly to consumers through desktop terminals, world media organizations, industry events and directly.

Rely on authoritative content, lawyer editing expertise, and industry-defining technology to build the most powerful argument.

The most comprehensive solution to manage all complex and expanding tax and compliance needs.

The industry leader in providing online information for tax, accounting and financial professionals.

Access unparalleled financial data, news, and content with a highly customized workflow experience on desktop, web, and mobile devices.

Browse an unparalleled combination of real-time and historical market data and insights from global resources and experts.

Screen high-risk individuals and entities around the world to help discover hidden risks in business relationships and interpersonal relationships.

All quotes are delayed by at least 15 minutes. Please see the complete list of exchanges and delays here.