Which space telescope launched in December 2021 to study the early universe in infrared light?

The James Webb Space Telescope launched in December 2021 to study the early universe in infrared light.

NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency developed Webb as a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. An Ariane 5 rocket launched it from French Guiana on 25 December 2021.

Webb operates near the Sun–Earth L2 point, about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. Its 6.5-metre primary mirror is made of 18 gold-coated beryllium segments, giving it a much larger collecting area than Hubble’s mirror.

The telescope’s infrared instruments help scientists observe distant galaxies, star formation, exoplanet atmospheres, and cool objects hidden by dust. Webb does not replace Hubble completely: Hubble observes mainly ultraviolet, visible, and some near-infrared wavelengths, while the two observatories complement one another.