James Webb Space Telescope Launch Date and Time: Major Glitch Delays Takeoff, What Happened?

The highly anticipated James Webb Space Telescope's launch date and time has been pushed back again due to some glitches.

James Webb Space Telescope Launch Date and Time

The telescope, described as the next decade's greatest space research telescope, is currently set to launch on December 24 from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

In the space agency's latest blog update, they explained that the team assigned for the new telescope has been working on "a communication issue between the observatory and the launch vehicle system."

However, NASA clarified that they would make an announcement regarding the updates about the telescope on Friday.

The telescope, which was supposed to deploy in 2018, has been delayed for years due to a variety of problems--including the pandemic and technological difficulties, per CNN.

After an issue occurred during launch procedures in November, the original launch date of December 18 was postponed to December 22.

As technicians attempts to link the telescope to the upper stage of the Ariane 5 rocket that would be utilized during the deployment, a sudden and unexpected release of a clamp band generated a vibration throughout the telescope, per NASA.

After examining and inspecting the telescope, the team discovered that the telescope was not greatly affected. Additionally, the fueling was completed on December 3.

Since there are no serious issues detected, the telescope was then mounted above the Ariane 5 rocket on December 11.

Moreover, the entire process was conducted under tight security and hygienic standard since it's one of the most sensitive procedures of Webb's whole launch campaign. In relation to this, a custom shower curtain functioned as the clean room's walls, keeping the telescope clean.

The said shower curtain was previously installed between the two platforms, where technicians worked to attach Webb to its launch vehicle.

James Webb Telescope's Mission

According to NASA's blog, Webb is considered the world's biggest and most powerful telescope.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is providing launch services for the telescope utilizing the Ariane 5 launch vehicle as part of an international partnership agreement.

In collaboration with partners, ESA will be procuring the launch services from Arianespace, as well as the construction and qualification of Ariane 5 modifications for the Webb mission.

Webb is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

With regards to James Webb Telescope's mission, it is expected to provide answers to questions about our solar system, new insights into exoplanets, and a deeper look into the universe than we've ever had before.

Webb will gaze into the atmospheres of exoplanets, some of which may be habitable, in the hopes of uncovering hints in the ongoing quest for life beyond Earth.

The telescope has a mirror that could expand to a gigantic length of 21 feet and four inches while in space, allowing it to absorb more light from the things it examines. The more light collected by the mirror, the more details the telescope can view.

The mirror is made up of 18 hexagonal gold-coated pieces with a diameter of 4.3 feet.