Taking a rest day
The team overseeing the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope are taking today (Jan. 1) off, according to a NASA statement. Yesterday's procedure, deploying the two booms that support the width of the observatory's massive sunshield, ran later into the day than personnel had hoped. And the next step is even more daunting: a two-day process of separating the five delicate layers of the vast sunshield.
That work will begin tomorrow (Jan. 2), the statement noted, and is expected to take two days to complete. Read more>
James Webb unfurls its sunshield!
The James Webb Space Telescope successfully unfurled its massive sunshield on Friday (Dec. 31), notching a huge milestone in its long and complex deployment campaign. Read our full story about it here.
The sunshield, which will help keep Webb's optics and instruments cool enough to detect faint heat signals from the early universe, unfolded via two "mid-booms," which were extended over two roughly three-hour stretches on Friday.
The boom extension activities were delayed slightly while Webb team members checked to make sure the sunshield's protective cover had fully rolled up as needed. But everything worked out just fine.
"Today is an example of why we continue to say that we don’t think our deployment schedule might change, but that we expect it to change," Keith Parrish, Webb observatory manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a blog post update Friday night.
"The team did what we had rehearsed for this kind of situation — stop, assess and move forward methodically with a plan," Parrish said. "We still have a long way to go with this whole deployment process."
Next up is tensioning of the sunshield's five layers, which could be complete as early as Sunday (Jan. 2). After that, the Webb team will shift their focus to mirror deployment.
Sunshield halfway unfurled!
The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully deployed its sunshield port mid-boom, unfurling half of the huge membranous structure.
"The deployment of the 5 telescoping segments of the mid-boom began around 1:30pm ET and reached full deployment at 4:49 pm," mission team members said via Twitter today (Dec. 31). "Webb's deployment steps are all human-controlled, so the schedule can change. The team plans to deploy the starboard mid-boom tonight."
There was indeed a schedule change today: The mid-boom deployments were supposed to happen earlier, but Webb's handlers took extra time to make sure the sunshield's protective cover had fully rolled up as planned, mission team members explained in another tweet.
Sunshield deployment is one of the riskiest, most complex activities the $10 billion observatory will perform during its time in space. So keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well tonight and over the weekend, when the team plans to bring the deployed shield's layers up to the proper tension.
James Webb Space Telescope to deploy sunshield booms
It's a big day for the James Webb Space Telescope.
Today is the day the huge space observatory will deploy the two mid-booms on it port and starboard side that will extend its sunshield out to its full width. The port boom will be extended first, followed by the starboard boom. Motors will drive both events.
Each mid-boom will deploy with its five sunshield membrane layers attached. If it goes smoothly, Webb will spend the next two days tightening the tension of the sunshield so it's not loose.
Wondering why it takes so many steps to deploy Webb's sunshield? Our Senior Writer Mike Wall has the full story here today.
Webb deploys flab, removes sunshield covers
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope successfully completed its two critical deployments for today, the space agency announced.
In back-to-back updates, NASA officials confirmed that the Webb space telescope successfully deployed its aft momentum flap and retracted the protective membrane covers on its gossamer sunshield, a major step in the weeklong work to unfurl the shield.
Read the full story from Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd here.
The membrane covers protected Webb's sunshield, which will be as large as a tennis court when deployed, during launch. You can see an animation of how the cover retraction went in space above.
Here's a close-up graphic below of the aft momentum flap, which is designed to steady Webb against the push of solar wind against its huge sunshield. -- Tariq Malik
2 deployment steps for Webb telescope today
It's been five days since NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launched into space on the observatory has two steps planned for today to continue its ultra-complicated deployment.
Today, Webb is expected to unfold a aft momentum flap, a three-panel structure at the bottom rear of the telescope designed to offset some of the pressure from the solar wind on Webb's massive sunshield. The flap should help Webb conserve fuel during its mission life as it limits the extra push on the telescope from the solar wind.
Later, Webb is expected to retract the sunshield membrane covers that have been protecting its thin sunshield layers since launch. The step will require a series of release devices to be activated that will then retract and roll up the membrane covers (two per sunshield pallet, fore and aft) to uncover the sunshield itself.
When deployed, the five-layer sunshield will be about the size of a tennis court. But there are 50 distinct steps to get it into place.
You can explore exactly how Webb is unfolding at NASA's Deployment Explorer website here. -- Tariq Malik
JWST extends its Deployable Tower Assembly
The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully completed the deployment of the tower assembly that separates the two main halves of the spacecraft.
The observatory's Deployable Tower Assembly took a little over 6.5 hours to extend, creating about 4 feet (1.2 meters) of space between the mirror assembly and the spacecraft's bus, which houses its electronics and propulsion systems, NASA officials said in a statement.
"This creates enough distance to allow the sensitive mirrors and instruments to cool down to the necessary temperatures to detect infrared light," NASA said in the statement. "This gap will also provide room for the sunshield membranes to fully unfold."
Read the full story here
Correction: This post was updated to correct the distance of space created by the tower deployment, it is 4 feet, not 2 feet.
Next up: Deployable Tower Assembly
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has begun extending its Deployable Tower Assembly, according to an agency update. The process, which began shortly after 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), will take at least six hours and creates space for the observatory's sunshield to deploy.
Good news: Webb has plenty of fuel for years of science
According to a NASA update, the James Webb Space Telescope may have enough fuel to more than double its minimum lifetime thanks to the precision of its launch and the two trajectory corrections the spacecraft has made to date.
"The Webb team has analyzed its initial trajectory and determined the observatory should have enough propellant to allow support of science operations in orbit for significantly more than a 10-year science lifetime. (The minimum baseline for the mission is five years.)" agency officials wrote in an update posted Dec. 29.
However, NASA emphasized that it is not providing a new mission timeline for the long-awaited observatory. "Consequently, Webb will have much more than the baseline estimate of propellant — though many factors could ultimately affect Webb's duration of operation," officials wrote in the statement. Read more>
Webb's sunshield unfolds some more
The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully completed deploying both pallet structures of its sunshield, notching another milestone in the five-day-long process of unfurling the massive sunshield.
After deploying the forward pallet earlier today, the aft pallet finished deploying at approximately 7:27 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 28 (0027 GMT on Dec. 29).
"While the actual motion to lower the forward pallet from its stowed to its deployed position took only 20 minutes, and the lowering of the aft pallet took only 18 minutes, the overall process took several hours for each because of the dozens of additional steps required," NASA officials said in a statement.
"These include closely monitoring structural temperatures, maneuvering the observatory with respect to the sun to provide optimal temperatures, turning on heaters to warm key components, activating release mechanisms, configuring electronics and software, and ultimately latching the pallets into place."
Sunshield deployment has begun!
The James Webb Space Telescope has begun deploying its massive sunshield, a vital component of the observatory. The spacecraft unfolded its Forward Unitized Pallet Structure, which supports the sunshield, on Tuesday (Dec. 28). Read more>
Webb has crossed the moon's orbit
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is now farther from Earth than the moon's orbit, according to an agency update posted late Monday (Dec. 27). The spacecraft also completed its second of three trajectory correction burns. Next up, the observatory will begin deploying its massive sunshield. Read more>
Webb telescope maneuver planned
It's day three of NASA's "29 days on the edge" for the James Webb Space Telescope and today's main goal is to perform the second of three mid-course correction burns to refine Webb's path to its new home at Lagrange point 2, or L2, nearly 1 million miles (1.6 million km) from Earth.
Latest story: James Webb Space Telescope successfully deploys antenna
Webb performed its first, and biggest, course correction burn on Saturday, Dec. 25, after launching into space. The third burn will occur on day 29 to enter its final orbit around the L2 point.
Here's how NASA describes today's planned burn on its deployment guide:
"This burn fine-tunes Webb's trajectory after launch. The duration of the burn will depend on Ariane 5 launcher performance.
"There are three mid-course correction (MCC) maneuvers: MCC-1a, MCC-1b, and MCC-2. This is the second. The first burn, MCC-1a, is the most important and the only other time-critical operation aside from solar array deployment during Webb’s commissioning period.
"The second, MCC-1b, is a shorter burn performed before the sunshield deployment is scheduled to start. The final maneuver, MCC-2, performed 29 days after launch, is designed to insert Webb into the optimum orbit around L2.
Antenna deployment successful
A day after launch, the James Webb Space Telescope continues to travel away from Earth and set itself up for observations in the months to come.
Beginning on Sunday (Dec. 26) at about 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT), the spacecraft deployed and tested a key antenna in a process that took about one hour, according to a NASA statement. The antenna will be responsible for twice-daily science data dumps to Earth.
In addition, the spacecraft's temperature sensors and strain gauges began work overnight. The next stage in the telescope's deployment, according to NASA, will be a second course-correction burn scheduled to occur about two days after launch.
Crucial burn complete, NASA says
The James Webb Space Telescope successfully executed a vital burn to correct its trajectory, according to a NASA statement. The burn began at 7:50 p.m. EST (0050 GMT) and lasted for 65 minutes, according to the agency. The maneuver also marked the last step of the mission's deployment that needed to be executed at a specific time; from now on, mission personnel can adapt the deployment timeline as needed. Read more>
Presidential congratulations
Congratulations @NASA and all who made today’s launch of the James Webb telescope possible. Webb is a shining example of the power of what we can accomplish when we dream big. We've always known that this project would be a risky endeavor, but with big risk comes big rewards.December 25, 2021
President Joe Biden offered his congratulations on the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope the evening of its flawless launch. "Congratulations @NASA and all who made today's launch of the James Webb telescope possible," Biden wrote in a tweet. "Webb is a shining example of the power of what we can accomplish when we dream big. We've always known that this project would be a risky endeavor, but with big risk comes big rewards."
Where is NASA's James Webb Space Telescope?
It's been just over 7 hours since NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launched into space and the space telescope is currently more than 67,800 miles (109,110 kilometers) away and climbing as it makes its way toward its destination: Lagrange Point 2.
Full story: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launches on epic mission to study early universe
More: 'It's truly Christmas': James Webb Space Telescope's yuletide launch has NASA overjoyed
In photos: The Christmas launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
You can track the Webb space telescope with NASA's Where is Webb website online, which uses real-time telemetry from the spacecraft to present a precise picture of where the space telescope is and at what stage its deployment is in.
It will take about 29 days for Webb to reach L2 nearly 1 million miles (1.6 million km) from Earth, and about six months before it will be ready to begin snapping images of the universe.
The next milestone for Webb will be a mid-course correction burn, a maneuver in deep space to fine-tune the space telescope on its path to L2.
'It's truly Christmas!' NASA on JWST launch
NASA chief Bill Nelson called today's successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope a "good day for Earth" as NASA and its partners celebrate the successful beginning of a $10 billion mission.
Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science missions, said it's a Christmas to remember.
"What am amazing day," Zurbuchen said. "It's truly Christmas with all the presents and everything and we have a space mission."
Post-launch press conference for JWST
With NASA's James Webb Space Telescope successfully launched, the space agency and its partners will hold a press conference soon to celebrate the successful liftoff.
The press conference is expected to begin by 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT) and should include the heads of agencies who built James Webb, as well as leading mission scientists.
You can watch it live in the window above. Meanwhile, here's a look back at today's successful launch.
James Webb Space Telescope launch a success
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is successfully in space and beginning its monthlong trek to its L2 home about 1 million miles from Earth.
Full story: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launches on epic mission to study early universe
"It's a great day for planet Earth," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said after the launch. "We are going to discover incredible things that we never imagined."
The accolades are pouring in from the space agencies who worked together to put the space telescope together with a series of interviews on NASA TV.
Spacecraft separation and solar array deploy
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has successfully separated from its Ariane 5 rocket and deployed its solar array to mark a flawless trip into space after today's launch.
A camera on Webb's Ariane 5 rocket upper stage beamed live views of the event, with solar array deployment occurring a bit early.
'Go, Webb, go!" rang cheers from Arianespace launch control at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.
2nd stage shutdown
2nd stage shutdown: The Ariane 5 upper stage engine carrying NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has shut down as planned.
James Webb Space Telescope on track during ascent
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA's James Webb Space Telescope continues its 2nd stage burn to carry the telescope into space.
"Very quiet now in the room," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias says of launch control. Officials with NASA, Arianespace and their partners are watching telemetry carefully, he says.
So far, all systems are working as expected.
"Today's countdown was as flawless as you can imagine," Navias said. "Everything fell together on this Christmas Day to send a new present to the world's astronomers."
4 minutes of powered flight remain.
Upper Stage separation and ignition
Stage Separation: The Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has jettisoned its main stage and ignited its upper stage to continue powering the James Webb Space Telescope into orbit.
View of James Webb Space Telescope on Ariane 5
A camera aboard today's Ariane 5 rocket launch has captured a view of the James Webb Space Telescope folded up for launch.
You can see that image above here.
Webb continues its ascent on its Ariane 5.
Stage separation for Ariane 5, Fairing separation
Stage separation: The 2 strap on boosters for the Ariane 5 rocket carrying the James Webb Space Telescope have separated as planned.
The rocket has also jettisoned its payload fairing.
"All parameters normal," Arianespace reports.
Liftoff for the James Webb Space Telescope!
LIFTOFF! NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launches on a mission to seek out the earliest light of the universe
James Webb Space Telescope in final countdown
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is now in its final automated launch countdown sequence.
A final launch weather check reveals good conditions for launch, Arianespace reports.
Less than 3 minutes remain until launch.
JWST launching 53 years after Apollo 8 Christmas broadcast
NASA spokesperson Rob Navias took a moment in today's James Webb Space Telescope launch broadcast to remind viewers Webb is launching on Christmas Day, 53 years after NASA's Apollo 8 crew beamed a Christmas Eve message to Earth from the moon. In that Christmas broadcast in 1968, the Apollo 8 astronauts read from the Bible's Book of Genesis to mark the holiday.
"Today, more than a half century later. we're just minutes away from another Genesis, the genesis of a new era of discovery," Navias said. "The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is at hand."
James Webb Space Telescope on internal power
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is on internal battery power for today's launch, a major milestone head of launch. NASA spokesperson Rob Navias says the observatory will remain on internal battery power until its solar arrays deploy about 30 minutes after liftoff.
It's a cloudy day in Kourou for today's launch, but Navias says all systems are still green.
"Don't let those clouds fool you, we are go for launch," Navias said.
T-30 minutes to James Webb Space Telescope launch
The James Webb Space Telescope is less than 30 minutes from launch for today's Ariane 5 liftoff.
NASA spokesperson James Webb Space Telescope Rob Navias at the launch site reports all systems are green for launch so far, with liftoff on track for a 7:20 a.m. EST (1220 GMT) ignition.
Fueling complete for James Webb Space Telescope
Fueling is now complete! 👍Our #Ariane5 is sitting tight @EuropeSpacePort with its passenger: @NASAWebb/@ESA_Webb!#VA256 #WebbFliesAriane pic.twitter.com/LPs5y7xg0NDecember 25, 2021
Arianespace reports the fueling process for the Ariane 5 rocket is now complete for today's launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA launch webcast live for JWST launch
Merry Christmas, space fans, it's launch day for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
After months of delays, the new Great Observatory is ready to launch at 7:20 a.m. EST (1220 GMT) atop an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. NASA's live launch webcast has begun for this Christmas launch, a rare event for NASA.
NASA is kicking off its webcast with its epic trailer for the James Webb Space Telescope mission, which uses the words of famed astronomer Carl Sagan.
'Go' for fueling
The Ariane 5 rocket that will launch the James Webb Space Telescope will begin fueling up for liftoff soon, according to the brief update just aired on NASA TV.
"Within the last hour mission controllers ... received a comprehensive weather briefing and we were told conditions were 'go' for the start of the loading of 175 tons of propellant into the core or first stage of the Ariane five rocket," a NASA spokesperson said in the update on NASA TV.
"150 tons of liquid oxygen and 25 tons of liquid hydrogen will soon be flowing into the first stage tanks of the Ariane 5. This process will take about two hours to complete. About an hour from now some 15 tons of propellant will be loaded into the second stage, or upper stage, of the Ariane 5 — another two-hour process, which should be complete around one hour and 22 minutes before launch."
Go for fueling! 😊Get ready for our Flight #VA256 with @NASAWebb/@ESA_Webb on board #Ariane5!#VA256 #WebbFliesAriane pic.twitter.com/LxZ5ASoszqDecember 25, 2021
NASA to provide Webb telescope update
NASA officials are about to give a status update on the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. You can watch it live in the window above, courtesy of NASA TV, or directly via YouTube.
Just one day left
The James Webb Space Telescope is still on track for a Christmas Day launch, after spending the night of Dec. 23 on the launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. Arianespace, which built the Ariane 5 rocket carrying the observatory, has confirmed that the weather forecast looks promising for the Saturday launch attempt. "Latest weather forecast just arrived and we are still good to go for tomorrow!" the European launch provider wrote in a statement posted to Twitter.
Webb is on the launch pad!
The Ariane 5 rocket carrying the James Webb Space Telescope made the two-hour trek out to the launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana, on Thursday (Dec. 23). See more photos
Roll-out is coming!
Let the roll-out to the launch pad begin for @ariane5 and #Webb! 🚀The doors of the assembly building have opened @EuropeSpacePort #WebbFliesAriane #JWST #VA256 📸 ESA - S. Corvaja pic.twitter.com/iMfgce4yLiDecember 23, 2021
The James Webb Space Telescope and its Ariane 5 rocket will begin the slow march to the launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana, in advance of the mission's Saturday morning launch at about 10 a.m. EST (1500 GMT) on Dec. 23.
Christmas Day launch still on track for JWST
The target launch date for the @NASAWebb/@ESA_Webb is confirmed on December 25, as early as possible within the following launch window: pic.twitter.com/aGB1ABzML5December 22, 2021
Arianespace, the European company responsible for launching the James Webb Space Telescope, confirmed in a tweet on Wednesday (Dec. 22) afternoon that they were still targeting Christmas Day (Saturday, Dec. 25) for the launch of the massive observatory.
The rocket, an Ariane 5, will roll out to the launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana, on Thursday morning (Dec. 23), the company noted.
High winds delay launch to Christmas
However, due to adverse weather conditions at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the flight #VA256 to launch the James Webb Space Telescope –initially scheduled for December 24– is being postponed.December 21, 2021
Arianespace has announced that due to upper-level winds, it will not attempt to launch the James Webb Space Telescope on Friday (Dec. 24). The next launch opportunity will be Saturday (Dec. 25) beginning at 7:20 a.m. EST (1220 GMT).
NASA Webb Space Telescope prelaunch briefing
With the clocking steadily ticking toward a Christmas Eve launch for the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA and its partners will hold a prelaunch teleconference for the mission today, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) and you can watch it live.
The webcast will be broadcast on NASA Live and simulcast in the audio player at the top of this page.
Speaking during today's prelaunch press conference will be:
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
- NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
- Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
- Greg Robinson, Webb program director, NASA Headquarters
- Jérôme Rives, vice president, Ariane 5 Business Unit, Arianespace, Paris, France
- Amber Straughn, Webb deputy project scientist for communications, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland
Three days until launch!
With three days to go before the James Webb Space Telescope launches, NASA has released a mission trailer paired with archival audio of the iconic astronomer Carl Sagan. "If we crave some cosmic purpose, then let us find ourselves a worthy goal," Sagan said. Watch the full trailer above.
And learn about the incredible engineering behind the most complex space observatory ever built with a deep dive into the telescope that "is not allowed to fail" in this new feature story.
What will the James Webb Space Telescope tell us about dark matter?
The world's most powerful space telescope is about to launch, and scientists think it could reveal incredible new information about dark matter.
The James Webb Space Telescope is set to launch on Dec. 24. from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. By observing primarily in infrared, the massive telescope will be able to peer back farther than ever into the cosmos, revealing new information about our early universe. However, additionally, scientists think that the scope could utilize the phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, from Einstein's general theory of relativity, to indirectly "observe" evidence of dark matter.
It's Launch Week for James Webb Space Telescope
It's launch week for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and as the days count down to its Christmas Eve launch on Dec. 24, we're taking a look at the science promised by the huge new space observatory.
Today's feature: James Webb Space Telescope vs. Hubble: How will their images compare?
Space.com senior writer Chelsea Gohd takes a look at the fundamental differences between the iconic Hubble Space Telescope, which can capture images in visible light, and the James Webb Space Telescope, which is solely an infrared observatory, but one so sensitive it's designed to peer back closer to the birth of the universe than ever before.
Dec. 24 launch date confirmed for Webb space telescope
NASA and its partners officially confirmed Dec. 24 as the launch target for the new James Webb Space Telescope. Liftoff is set for 7:20 a.m. EST (1220 GMT) from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
Read our full story on the confirmed launch date here.
NASA confirmed the launch target today in a blog post, stating that the Webb space telescope is packed inside its nosecone and attached to its Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket.
"The James Webb Space Telescope is confirmed for the target launch date of Dec. 24, at 7:20 a.m. EST," NASA wrote. "Late yesterday, teams at the launch site successfully completed encapsulation of the observatory inside the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space. Webb’s launch final readiness review will be held on Tuesday Dec. 21 and, if successful, roll-out is planned for Wednesday, Dec. 22."
Launch date confirmation coming Saturday
The James Webb Space Telescope is still tentatively scheduled to launch on Dec. 24, but the launch date won't be officially confirmed until tomorrow (Saturday, Dec. 18), according to Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël.
"Final encapsulation operations ongoing," Israël tweeted late Friday. "Target launch date is December 24 at 12:20 am UTC. Confirmation Saturday."
Final encapsulation operations ongoing. Need a few more hours to complete them. Target launch date is December 24 at 12:20 am UTC. Confirmation Saturday. Go @NASAWebb/@ESA_Webb! Go #Ariane5! Go! 🎅🚀#WebbFliesAriane #VA256 pic.twitter.com/15wvWpaD3RDecember 17, 2021
NASA, ESA discussing Webb space telescope launch date
NASA and the European Space Agency are discussing their options today (Dec. 17) on when to launch the multibillion-dollar James Webb Space Telescope.
Earlier this week, the two agencies and their partners delayed the Webb telescope's Dec. 22 launch after a data cable issue prevented communications between the observatory and equipment with its Ariane 5 rocket. The launch is currently targeted for no earlier than Dec. 24, but that launch date could change.
NASA and ESA have both said they will announce a firmer launch date by then end of the day today, Dec. 17. The faulty data cable on Webb was fixed yesterday afternoon and engineers were expected to perform final tests before making a decision on whether to close up the space telescope inside its clamshell-like payload fairing.
The Webb space telescope is NASA's next "Great Observatory" and set to launch on an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket from Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
The mission has been delayed several times in recent months, from an October launch target to late December due to launch preparation issues.
Data cable fixed on James Webb Space Telescope
Just in from the Webb launch site: The team has fixed the connection issue and @NASAWebb is in the midst of its final scheduled aliveness test before launch. We’ll provide an additional update on the status of encapsulation and the launch date tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ehFVzfeeCIDecember 16, 2021
Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science missions, announced on Twitter today that the launch team for the agency's James Webb Space Telescope has fixed the data cable connection issue that has delayed the space observatory's launch. A new launch date will be announced on Friday, Dec. 18.
"Just in from the Webb launch site: The team has fixed the connection issue and @NASAWebb is in the midst of its final scheduled aliveness test before launch," Zurbuchen wrote on Twitter. "We'll provide an additional update on the status of encapsulation and the launch date tomorrow."
The Webb Space Telescope is currently targeted to launch no earlier than Dec. 24, two days later than planned due to the data cable issue.
Faulty cable caused JWST launch delay
A faulty communications cable is responsible for the James Webb Space Telescope's latest delay, according to the European Space Agency.
In a press conference today (Dec. 16), ESA officials said a faulty data designed to deliver data from the Webb space telescope and its rocket and launch pad equipment was not working properly.
"It's an interface issue in the electrical network connecting the observatory and the ground support equipment," Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA director of space transportation, said in the briefing. "It's a cable located in the launch table, which is experiencing some intermittent losses of data."
JWST packed for flight
On Saturday, Dec. 11, Arianespace packed NASA's James Webb Space Telescope for launch, installing the space telescope atop its Ariane 5 rocket for a planned launch from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
The actual launch date for the Webb space telescope is still uncertain, as NASA and Arianespace have delayed its launch (initially set for Dec. 22) to no earlier than Dec. 24. An update on launch plans for Webb is expected by Friday, Dec. 17, according to NASA.
NASA and Arianespace originally aimed to launch the Webb space telescope on Oct. 31 and have delayed it repeatedly due to integration and other issues. Watch this space for updates on a new firm launch date for the James Webb Space Telescope.
JWST launch delayed to Dec. 24
The James Webb Space Telescope is now scheduled to launch no earlier than Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), NASA announced today.
"The James Webb Space Telescope team is working a communication issue between the observatory and the launch vehicle system," NASA officials said in a statement. "This will delay the launch date to no earlier than Friday, Dec. 24. We will provide more information about the new launch date no later than Friday, Dec. 17."
James Webb Space Telescope ready to launch
After years of development and billions of dollars, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is nearly ready to launch.
Follow JWST's last days on Earth and its future as a new Great Observatory for NASA, the European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency and the world in our live coverage here.