By Jonathan O'Callaghan In 2018 Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will take flight to help us understand more about the universe. But Nasa has already begun to lay out plans for their next space observatory in the hope of one day tracking down alien life. Called the Advanced Telescope Large-Aperture Space Telescope (Atlast), the mission concept builds upon key technologies developed for Hubble and the JWST. This artist's rendition shows a possible design of a potential successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. A Nasa-led team of experts in now investigating the viability of this conceptual mission, called the Advanced Telescope Large-Aperture Space Telescope (Atlast)
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Nasa scientists in Maryland have revealed plans for a new giant telescope
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Called the Advanced Telescope Large-Aperture Space Telescope (Atlast)
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It will be the successor to 2018's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
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The huge telescope will be designed to hunt for alien life on other planets
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And its primary goal will be to answer once and for all: 'Are we alone?'
They add that, while Hubble and JWST will last for many years into the future, the agency is already looking ahead to the telescope and instrument requirements needed to answer the questions posed in @placeholder’s 30-year vision.