A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday (Aug. 22), sending 24 of the company's Starlink broadband satellites to orbit.
As missions like Kepler and TESS discovered more rocky exoplanets in recent years, scientists looked forward to the launch of the JWST. The powerful space telescope has the ability gather infrared spectra of exoplanet atmospheres, a key need in understanding the planets being discovered. It was hoped that these atmospheric characterizations would advance our understanding of habitability.