Join in for free Wednesday (June 29) as NASA celebrates the forthcoming end of commissioning for its $10 billion next-generation space observatory.

In a series of talks, the agency plans to discuss the James Webb Space Telescope and its aims to uncover more about the early universe, solar system objects, exoplanets and a range of interesting things around the universe.

NASA will broadcast audio from the event, held in Baltimore at the Space Telescope Science Institute, starting at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT). You can tune in here courtesy of NASA or directly at the agency’s website (opens in new tab).

Live updates: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mission
Related: How the James Webb Space Telescope works in pictures

Participants include NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

In addition, the event will include two panels. One will be dedicated to science topics and the other will highlight the observatory’s commissioning process and design.

The talks come two weeks before NASA unveils the first science-quality images from the observatory. That milestone will occur on July 12 at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), and will be webcast live.

Webb launched into space Dec. 25, 2021 and has been working to prepare each of its four scientific instruments for operation. 

You can follow along with the instruments’ “check-off” list on the “Where is Webb” NASA webpage (opens in new tab). The full list of Webb’s first cycle of observations is available at this website (opens in new tab) from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which runs Webb operations.

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