Which European agency partnered with NASA on JWST?

The European Space Agency partnered with NASA on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST is an international mission led by NASA with major contributions from ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

ESA supplied important hardware and expertise, including the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, the NIRSpec spectrograph, and the optical components for the Mid-Infrared Instrument. European scientists also received observing opportunities through ESA’s participation.

The partnership is sometimes simplified incorrectly as a NASA-only project. NASA managed the overall mission, while ESA and CSA supplied major instruments, launch support, and scientific contributions. The telescope launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 25 December 2021.

JWST studies the universe mainly in infrared light, allowing astronomers to examine early galaxies, star formation, dusty regions, and atmospheres around exoplanets.