TRUE

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) successfully launched on December 25, 2021, at 7:20 a.m. EST from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The mission was a joint international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). An Ariane 5 rocket provided by Arianespace carried the observatory into space, marking the start of its journey to the second Lagrange point (L2), located approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Official mission documentation from NASA and ESA confirms the launch date and the subsequent deployment of the telescope's sunshield and mirrors. Following six months of commissioning, the observatory began its primary science operations in July 2022.