Astronomers and space exploration enthusiasts received the greatest Christmas present of all time on December 25th, 2011. After years of delays, cost overruns, and additional testing, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The Ariane 5 rocket reached its destination without a hitch. The deployment of the JWST was the first in a series of episodes.
There are periods of waiting that are accompanied by a lot of worry and doubt. There have been several positive developments since the launch of the JWST. The latest is how the telescope was able to deploy its momentum flap, an instrument that will keep the telescope oriented during its mission. The news was announced via NASA's official account on the internet, as well as on the NASA website.
