Video shows James Webb telescope heading out on mission

A $10bn glittering jewel recedes into the distance.

This is the moment the James Webb Telescope came off the top of its rocket to begin its mission to image the first stars to shine in the cosmos. The video was transmitted in near real-time last Saturday, but the feed to Earth was very glitchy and broken up.

The European Space Agency (Esa) has since had the sequence cleaned up and set to music by the UK artist Charlotte Hatherley.

Video courtesy of Esa/Arianespace

Read more: $10bn 'glittering space jewel' begins its mission