James Webb Space Telescope

After $10 billion and 25 years of development, JWST launched on Christmas 2021 and unfolded flawlessly at L2, 1.5 million km from Earth. Its infrared instruments immediately delivered the deepest universe images ever taken, detecting galaxies from just 300 million years after the Big Bang—far earlier than models predicted. Webb has identified water vapor in at least five exoplanet atmospheres, a feat 100 times sharper than Hubble's infrared capabilities. It outpaces #5 (Cassini-Huygens) by exploring the cosmic dawn, while Hubble, in comparison, now resembles a disposable camera.