Webb space telescope reaches orbit nearly a million miles away after 30-day voyage from Earth

The James Webb Space Telescope slipped into orbit around a point in space nearly a million miles from Earth Monday where it can capture light from the first stars and galaxies to form in the aftermath of the Big Bang.As planned, the European Ariane 5 rocket that launched Webb on Christmas Day put the telescope on a trajectory that required only a slight push to reach the intended orbit around Lagrange Point 2, one of five spots where the pull of sun and Earth interact to form stable or nearly stable gravitational zones.The push came in the form of a 4-minute 57-second thruster firing at 2 p.m. EST that increased Webb's velocity by a mere 3.6 mph, just enough to ease it into a six-month orbit around L2. And I can't wait to see Webb's first new views of the universe this summer!"Spacecraft at or near L2 orbit the sun in lockstep with Earth and can remain on station with a minimum amount of rocket fuel, allowing a longer operational lifetime than might otherwise be possible.An orbit around L2 also will allow Webb to observe the universe while keeping its tennis court-size sunshade broadside to Earth's star and the telescope's optics and instruments on the cold side.As of Monday, Webb's mirror had cooled down to minus 347 Fahrenheit, well on the way toward a goal of nearly 390 degrees below zero.