NASA's very high hopes for the James Webb Telescope go way beyond those stunning, out-of-this-world images you've seen -- astronaut Mike Massimino says it could literally redefine the universe for us.
Mike joined TMZ live Tuesday, shortly after NASA released even more impressive photos of galaxies and stars forming billions of light-years away from Earth. He says scientists hope the telescope will achieve 2 major goals.
The first is trying to look back into stellar history as far as possible -- about 13.8 billion years ago -- to see the very first light created at the moment of the Big Bang!!! Meaning, it would no longer just be theory.
Mind-blowing, right???
Mike says the J-dub Telescope could also help us find other habitable planets. Now, he says there's no need to pack your bags -- we won't be able to hop on one of Elon Musk's rockets to get there, even IF we find such a planet.
As we've told you, NASA released 4 new shockingly clear space images Tuesday, after unveiling an initial image on Monday ... which the space agency called "the deepest, sharpest infrared image of the universe ever."
As for the whole Big Bang Theory (actual science, not a TV sitcom) ... we had to ask Mike how the telescope's findings might challenge some people's view of religion. Having been in space himself, he had a very interesting take on that huge question.