November 22, 2024

Launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Delayed After “Incident”

By NASA
November 23, 2021

A NASA-led abnormality evaluation board was right away assembled to investigate and set up extra testing to determine with certainty the occurrence did not damage any components. When the screening is completed at the end of this week, NASA and its mission partners will offer an upgrade.
Webb was previously set up to introduce on December 18 on an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou.
The Webb Space Telescope is a global partnership with the Canadian and european area firms. It will check out every phase of cosmic history– from within our solar system to the most remote observable galaxies in the early universe, and whatever in between. Webb will reveal brand-new and unforeseen discoveries, and aid mankind understand the origins of the universe and our location in it.

NASAs James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
The launch preparedness date for the James Webb Space Telescope is relocating to no earlier than December 22 to enable additional screening of the observatory, following a current occurrence that happened throughout Webbs launch preparations.
The event occurred throughout operations at the satellite preparation facility in Kourou, French Guiana, performed under Arianespace overall obligation. Specialists were preparing to attach Webb to the launch automobile adapter, which is utilized to incorporate the observatory with the upper phase of the Ariane 5 rocket. A sudden, unexpected release of a clamp band– which secures Webb to the launch automobile adapter– triggered a vibration throughout the observatory.