James Webb Space Telescope Gets a Launch Date

Artistic design of the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA GSFC / CIL / Adriana Manrique Gutierrez

Nasa plans to launch the James Webb Space Telescope in orbit on December 18, 2021, to serve as the premier deep space observatory for the next decade.

After successfully completing its final tests, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is seen here being prepared for shipment to its launch site. Credit: NASA / Chris Gunn

The agency set the new target launch date in coordination with Arianespace after Webb recently successfully completed its rigorous testing program – a major turning point for the mission. The new date also follows the successful launch by Arianespace of an Ariane 5 rocket at the end of July and the scheduling of a launch that will precede Webb. The July launch was the first of an Ariane 5 since August 2020.

Webb, an international program led by NASA with its partners ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency, will be launched on an Ariane 5 from the European spaceport in French Guiana on the northeast coast of the United States. South America. ESA supplies Ariane 5.

The highly complex space telescope is currently resting in its final storage configuration at the Northrop Grumman facility in Redondo Beach, California.

“Webb is an exemplary mission that represents the epitome of perseverance,” said Gregory L. Robinson, director of the Webb program at NASA headquarters in Washington. “I am inspired by our dedicated team and global partnerships that have made this incredible business possible. Together, we overcame technical hurdles along the way as well as challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. I am also grateful for the continued support of Congress. Now that we have an observatory and a rocket ready to launch, I look forward to the big day and the amazing science to come. “

Major parts of the Ariane 5 rocket to launch the James Webb Space Telescope arrived safe and sound in Kourou, French Guiana, from Europe on September 3, 2021. Credit: ESA / CNES / Arianespace

The Webb team is preparing for shipping operations, during which the observatory will undergo the final closing and packing procedures for its journey to the launch site. The main elements of the Ariane 5 rocket that will transport Webb into space have arrived safely in Kourou, French Guiana, from Europe.

The revolutionary technology of the Webb Telescope will explore every phase of cosmic history – from the interior of our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between. Webb will reveal new and unexpected discoveries and help humanity understand the origins of the universe and our place in it.