News: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will launch in October 2021. JWST is a project of international collaboration between NASA, ESA and CSA. Come and hear the latest on this extraordinary observatory.

Designed to open new windows in our understanding of our own solar system, the formation of stars and planets, including exoplanets, and the assembly and evolution of the first galaxies, JWST will provide imaging, spectroscopic and coronagraphic capabilities from 0.6 to 28.5 microns with unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution. Its powerful and versatile combination of instruments will enable scientific discoveries spanning a broad range of astrophysical topics, from our own Solar System to the most distant galaxies.

This Special Session will take place less than six months before the launch of JWST. At the meeting, will be able to present a unique snapshot of what the first year of JWST science will be. The cycle 1 General Observer (GO) program will have been selected and will be available to the community, to complement the finalized Early Release Science (ERS) program. The Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) will be also in their final configuration. The performance of the instruments will be known to the best of the information available pre-launch, and the data analysis tools will have reached their expected pre-launch maturity status.

Join us and learn about the best pre-launch information available on JWST. We will give an update on the status of the mission and on the scientific portfolio of Cycle 1, including an overview of the Cycle 1 GO programs selected, the finalized ERS program, and the observations planned by the GTOs. We will share the current understanding of the JWST instrument complement performance, the status of data processing and analysis tools as well as the JWST archives in Europe, the US and Canada. We will conclude with an overview of the events that will be organized in Europe in occasion of the JWST launch and Early Release Observations (ERO) unveiling and the opportunities and tools for the community to follow the developments of the JWST mission before and after launch.

Programme

• JWST Mission Status
• Cycle 1 Science Program Overview
• Early Release Science Program Overview
• Guaranteed Time Observations Overview
• The JWST Users Committee
• Science Timeline
• Instrument Capabilities, Expected Performance
• Observatory Commissioning
• Instrument Pipeline Status and Performance
• The JWST Archives

Invited speakers

Scientific organisers

Antonella Nota (ESA, STScI), Pierre Ferruit (ESA), Roberto Maiolino (Cambridge Univ.), Susan Mullally (STScI), Neill Reid (STScI), Marco Sirianni (ESA, STScI), Gillian Wright (UK-ATC).

Contact

nota@stsci.edu, pierre.ferruit @ cosmos.esa.int