Hubble Space Telescope's replacement arrives at NASA’s Johnson Space Center

James Webb Telescope

The James Webb Telescope recently arrived in Houston's NASA Johnson Space Center to undergo tests prior to launching in 2018.

Click through to see more incredible images of NASA's James Webb Telescope. less James Webb Telescope

The James Webb Telescope recently arrived in Houston's NASA Johnson Space Center to undergo tests prior to launching in 2018.

Click through to see more incredible images of NASA's James ... more Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close Hubble Space Telescope's replacement arrives at NASA’s Johnson Space Center 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Houston is showing off why its nickname is Space City.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope recently arrived in Houston to undergo tests at the Johnson Space Center.

The 6.8 ton orbiting observatory is the spiritual and scientific successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that launched 27 years ago.

Scientists will perform a lengthy 100-day test to see if the telescope can withstand the freezing temperatures found 1 million miles out in space, the telescope's final destination where it will snap images and gather data on the origins of the universe.

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Intriguingly, the cryogenic test will be performed in the same vacuum chambers where the Apollo spacecraft were tested.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope to ever be constructed, taking more than 20 years and $8.8 billion to complete. The telescope is named after James E. Webb, NASA's second administrator and the man responsible for leading the Apollo space missions that landed the first humans on the moon.

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When it finally launches in 2018, the telescope is expected to carry out its mission for 5 to 10 years, where it will teach scientists more about the Big Bang, determine how galaxies evolve, and investigate the potential for life in other solar systems.

Click through above to see more images of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.