NASA and Arianespace successfully completed the Launch Readiness Review for the James Webb Space Telescope on Dec. 21. The team authorized the Ariane 5 rocket carrying Webb to rollout and the start of launch sequencing for the mission.
However, due to adverse weather conditions at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, flight VA256 – initially scheduled for 24 December – has been postponed, according to the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The new targeted launch date is Dec. 25, as early as possible within the following launch window:
- Between 7:20 a.m. and 7:52 a.m. Washington
- Between 9:20 a.m. and 9:52 a.m. Kourou
- Between 12:20 p.m. and 12:52 p.m. Universal (UTC)
- Between 1:20 p.m. and 1:52 p.m. Paris
- Between 9:20 p.m. and 9:52 p.m. Tokyo
Tomorrow evening, another weather forecast will be issued in order to confirm the date of December 25. The Ariane 5 launch vehicle and Webb are in stable and safe conditions in the Final Assembly Building.
Here are a few fun facts about the James Webb Space Telescope:
We will start by putting the telescope’s size into perspective. Make no mistake – but the telescope is huge. It is as big as a three-story building and as long as a tennis court!
In order to fit the telescope inside the nose cone of the Ariane rocket, it had to be folded origami-style to get it all inside. But, not to worry. The telescope will unfold, sunshield first, once in space.
The Webb telescope can also see through dust clouds. It sees the universe in light that is invisible to human eyes – called infrared radiation. We humans can feel this as heat.
Firefighters use infrared cameras to see and rescue people through the smoke in a fire. The James Webb Space Telescope will use its infrared cameras to see through dust in our universe.
The Webb telescope’s cameras are sensitive to heat from the Sun. Just like you might wear a hat or a visor to block the sun from your eyes, Webb has a sunshield to protect its instruments and mirrors.
The telescope’s sunshield is about the size of a tennis court. The temperature difference between the sun-facing and shaded sides of the telescope is more than 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
