The James Webb Space Telescope lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on Dec. 25, 2021, on its exciting mission to unlock the secrets of the universe.

Following launch and separation from the rocket, Webb’s mission operations center in Baltimore confirmed Webb deployed its solar array and is in good condition, marking the launch a success.

In the coming month, Webb, an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), will travel to its destination: the second Lagrange point (L2), where it will study the universe in infrared.

Image Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace