After years of delays and cost overruns, the James Webb Space Telescope arrived at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on October 12th, 2021. The next-generation observatory is getting ready for integration with the Ariane 5 rocket that will take it to space. There was an incident where a band suddenly released, causing a loud noise. The launch date was pushed back once again as crews investigated the source of the problem.
The due diligence is done, and the James Webb is back on track. According to the latest news from the ESA, crews have finished fueling the JWST's thrusters in preparation for its launch on December 22nd. After leaving the Ariane 5 rocket and entering the atmosphere, the Webb will use the thrusters to make course corrections.
The process took ten days to complete and was done in a dedicated hall at the Centre Spatial Guyanais. The reason it takes so long is because of the setup and preparation. Equipment and connections need to be set up in advance, safety protocols need to be followed, and the fuel tanks need to be pressurized.
The integration and testing for the James Webb Space Telescope is over, and NASA will soon begin its next giant leap into the unknown. NASA/Chris Gunn.
The propellant tanks were filled with hydrazine fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizer. Each propellant had to be filled by specialists wearing SCAPE suits. The crews have moved into the next phase of preparation, known as combined operations.
The specialists who have been working separately to prepare the Ariane 5 rocket will come together as one team. The capsule will be placed inside the Ariane 5's specially adapted fairing after the Webb is hoisted into place. The final phase of preparation for the Ariane 5 launch vehicle was held in the Final Assembly building on December 7th.
The transfer took place during the early morning hours and required a special 23 metric ton (25.35 US ton) transport container to make it to the Final Assembly building safely. The Ariane 5 and the JWST were in the same building in November. The observatory had been fueled and was going to be attached to the Ariane 5 upper stage.
The integration process had to be scrubbed after a band suddenly released on the LVA. With the Ariane 5 ready to be stacked with the Ariane 5, the crews at the Center for Spaceflight can once again attempt to hoist the Ariane 5 and its cargo to the upper platform and then put it inside its special payload fairing. The launch is still scheduled for December 22nd.
The largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space will be called the "Wbb", and it will have a complex design, advanced mirrors, and advanced suite of scientific instruments. As part of an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, Webb will use its advanced IR and coronagraph capabilities to observe unseen and poorly-understood aspects of the Universe.
The census of cooler objects in the Universe include red dwarfs, brown dwarfs, and circumstellar disks, which give rise to planets. It will observe rocky planets that are closer to their stars, helping to complete the census of exoplanets. It will capture light from the first stars and study how they have evolved.
It is little wonder why so many people are waiting for James to make it to space and begin capturing its first light. Despite years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, all those involved in the development of this observatory have stuck with it. You might say that the James Webb Space Telescope is too important to fail.
After a long series of delays, could it be that the James Webb is headed for space? Don't answer that. We don't want it to be jinxed. We should just cross our fingers and wait for Dec. 22nd.
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