NASA recently moved the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope from December 18 to December 22, 2021.
NASA convened a review committee to investigate what happened to the James Webb Space Telescope on November 23. This came after an “incident” took place at a processing facility in French Guiana, where the Ariane 5 will launch.
Following the events, the space agency decided to delay the launch of the observatory. It also explained that experts would need “a few extra days” for assessments and tests.
Reports claimed on Tuesday that NASA has cleared the Webb for its official launch. Ars Technica provided some of the updates about the matter.
NASA gives the green light for launch
Late last week, the space agency shared that engineers already completed the “additional testing” necessary to ensure Webb’s readiness for flight. They found out that there was no damage to the components of the space telescope.
Fueling operations consequently began on Thursday. The process will take about ten days to complete, with 240 liters of hydrazine fuel and dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizer necessary for the Webb’s 20 small thrusters.
Accordingly, NASA removed the ambiguity of the launch window. The James Webb Space Telescope will officially take off via the Ariane 5 rocket on December 22 at 11:20 p.m., AEDT.
The “incident” that caused the delay
The Webb space observatory had a journey at sea, from California to French Guiana. Upon arrival at the launch site, though, a high-tension clamp band, which secures the telescope to the launch vehicle adapter, released on its own.
The “sudden” and “unplanned” release of the band caused a vibration throughout the space observatory. As a result, a NASA-led “anomaly review board” had an investigation, and conducted tests to determine the overall impact of the “incident.”
Experts at the space agency acknowledged that what happened was an “anomaly.” Speaking to reporters, they said that the clamp band came off in a way it should not.
About James Webb Space Telescope
The design and development of the James Webb Space Telescope have taken over three decades in the process. It has since been described as “one of the grand scientific endeavours of the 21st century,” according to BBC.
It is a much bigger observatory than the Hubble Space Telescope. But, apart from the size, the Webb can detect light in the infrared, a design that differs it from the Hubble.
It means that the Webb will see just about anything in the sky. NASA said that one of its primary missions is to detect the light coming from the pioneer stars. It is reportedly possible that the telescope will see the moment when the darkness ended as the first stars switched on into life.
Images courtesy of NASA Goddard/YouTube