  We have entered the era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We use the
first JWST transmission spectrum of the hot Saturn-mass exoplanet, WASP-39 b,
obtained with the NIRSpec instrument in the 3-5 $\mu$m range to investigate (a)
what atmospheric constraints are possible with JWST-quality data in this
spectral range, (b) requirements for atmospheric models used in retrievals, (c)
effect of differences between data reduction pipelines on retrieved atmospheric
properties, and (d) complementarity between JWST data in the 3-5 $\mu$m range
and HST observations at shorter wavelengths. JWST spectra in the 3-5 $\mu$m
range provide a promising avenue for chemical detections while encompassing a
window in cloud opacity for several prominent aerosols. We confirm recent
inferences of CO$_2$, SO$_2$, H$_2$O, and CO in WASP-39 b, report tentative
evidence for H$_2$S, and retrieve elemental abundances consistent with Saturn's
metallicity. We retrieve molecular abundances with $\sim$0.3-0.6 dex precision
with this relatively limited spectral range. When considering the 3-5 $\mu$m
data alone, reported differences in spectra with different reduction pipelines
can affect abundance estimates by up to $\sim$1 dex and the detectability of
less prominent species. Complementing with data at shorter wavelengths, e.g.
with other JWST instruments or HST WFC3 ($\sim$0.8-1.7 $\mu$m), can
significantly improve the accuracy and precision of the abundance estimates.
The high data quality enables constraints on aerosol properties, including
their composition, modal size and extent, motivating their consideration in
retrievals. Our results highlight the promise of JWST exoplanet spectroscopy,
while underscoring the importance of robust data reduction and atmospheric
retrieval approaches in the JWST era.
