The primary mirror is 21.3-foot in diameter. The image is from NASA/C. Gunn.
After an unexpected release of a band during the launch preparations, the James Webb Space Telescope will have to wait a few more days. The liftoff for Webb has been delayed.
The development of the space telescope began almost 30 years ago and is said to be the most powerful observational tool to be put into space. After a journey at sea to arrive in October at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, it has been folded up and 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 The mission team had to delay liftoff a few days because of a recent incident.
technicians were preparing to attach the observatory to the Ariane 5 rocket during operations at the facility in French Guiana, according to a new statement from NASA. The observatory was affected by a sudden release of a band that secures the launch vehicle to the launch vehicle.
The James Webb Space Telescope is being built.
The space agency said that launch preparations were performed under Arianespace's overall responsibility. The Ariane 5 rocket is set to lift off.
A NASA-led anomaly review board was immediately convened to investigate and conduct additional testing to make sure the incident did not damage any components. NASA and its mission partners will give an update when the testing is over.
This is not the first time that this has happened, and it comes less than a month before the initial launch date.
In 2007, the launch was originally planned. The telescope's budget has been increased to $9 billion, with $861 million of that budget dedicated to supporting the first five years of operation after launch.
The new target timeframe launch was in March. It was pushed to Halloween again on December 18. The team will launch on December 22. As NASA noted in its statement, the agency and its partners are continuing to investigate the issue as they move through pre-launch testing.
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