Twenty years from now we might get a call from aliens. In 2017, a powerful radio transmission was aimed at exoplanet GJ 273b, thought to be able to support life. Its message, sent by the alien-hunting group Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence International, contained instructions on how to understand Earthling math, music and time. If it lands on intelligent alien ears once it arrives in about a decade, E.T.

ASU scientists and engineers building the Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS) for NASA's Europa Clipper passed a major hurdle recently by capturing the first successful test images from this complex infrared camera, known as "first light" images.

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The James Webb Space Telescope, the most complex and expensive space laboratory ever created, is less than two weeks away from its ultimate destination a million miles from Earth. Once it arrives, it will send information about parts of space and time never seen before. It will also send previously unattainable information about parts of our own solar system.

UC Riverside astrophysicist Stephen Kane's group will be using the telescope to look for planets like Venus in other parts of the galaxy. In addition to work with the Webb mission, Kane is also joining NASA on missions to Venus expected to launch after 2028. Here, he breaks down some unique aspects of the Webb, explains how the separate Venus projects intersect, and how both might benefit Earth.

Q: The Webb telescope cost $10 billion. What contributed to the cost, and what makes it different from other telescopes?

A: Webb is often described as a successor to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, which is remarkably still going strong.

More than two weeks after the James Webb Space Telescope's launch on Christmas Day, the telescope has traveled more than 700,000 miles from Earth. JWST has successfully deployed its secondary mirror, a key element of the telescope's optics. Next, JWST will unfold its primary mirror segments.

U-M astronomer Michael Meyer says that observing the telescope's transformation has been fascinating.

"In the last week, the team has learned a great deal about the spacecraft that they couldn't have uncovered during testing on the ground. As a result, the tensioning of the sunshield was delayed in order to examine the power subsystems and motors in more detail. Anticipating such occurrences, a flexible plan was developed in order to adapt as things proceed. And that strategy seems to be paying off.

"So far, the deployment of JWST has been a spectacular success. There have been a few nerve-wracking moments, but the daily reports have been welcome good news in these uncertain times. A dedicated team of engineers is going through the to-do list, item by item: There is still a ways to go, but so far, so great.