Image: ESA/S. Corvaja
Ariane 5 ECA+ | James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
Arianespace · Ariane 5 ECA+ · Ariane Launch Area 3, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Arianespace's 306th launch · 14th this year · humanity's 6,176th orbital launch attempt
The launch vehicle successfully inserted its payload(s) into the target orbit(s).
Window: Dec 25, 12:20 – Dec 25, 12:52 UTC
Flight preview
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope developed by NASA, ESA and CSA to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA's flagship astrophysics mission. Its primary mirror, the Optical Telescope Element, is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments which combine to create a 6.5 m diameter mirror, considerably larger than Hubble's 2.4 m mirror. This will allow JWST to provide improved infrared resolution and sensitivity over Hubble, and will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology, including observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe, such as the formation of the first galaxies.
Astrophysics · Sun-Earth L2 (L2)
Booster
No booster details available.
Watch
- Ariane 5 JWST — The Space Devs
- James Webb Space Telescope Launch — Official NASA Broadcast — NASA
- Flight VA256 – James Webb Space Telescope | Ariane 5 Launch | Arianespace — arianespace
Updates
Successful launch confirmed
SwGustav · 12/25/2021 · source
Delaying by 24 hours due to adverse weather forecast
SwGustav · 12/21/2021 · source
Go for launch.
Jay · 12/17/2021 · source
New NET date.
Cosmic_Penguin · 12/15/2021 · source
New launch date confirmed after additional spacecraft testing.
Cosmic_Penguin · 11/25/2021 · source
Delayed by four days due to a processing incident.
Nosu · 11/22/2021 · source
Adding launch window
Nosu · 10/13/2021 · source
Targeted launch date announced
spacevogel · 9/8/2021 · source
JWST launch now TBD November.
Nosu · 6/2/2021 · source
News
Young Galaxy Cluster
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope takes us 4.4 billion years in the past with this July 3, 2026, image of a young galaxy cluster, MACS J0553.4-3342. The cluster is composed of two actively merging sub-clusters, roughly equal in mass. Each sub-cluster is anchored on an immensely bright and massive elliptical galaxy, easily identifiable as the […]
NASA’s Webb Discovers Hidden Planet in Famous Star System
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a giant planet outside our solar system, called an exoplanet, hiding within one of the most intensely studied planetary systems in our Milky Way galaxy. The young, nearby star Beta Pictoris was already known to host two giant planets: Beta Pictoris b, one of the first […]
Webb reveals millions of stars in nearby galaxy
In new images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s centre in visible light, showing a densely packed tapestry of individual stars and an active, everchanging galaxy. These images mark four years of better-than-anticipated performance and successful science operations for the most powerful space telescope in history.
NASA Webb Uncovers Unusual Galaxy Shaped by Cosmic Collision
In new images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to celebrate its fourth science anniversary, a familiar galaxy transforms into something far richer, and far more complex, than ever seen before. Webb’s unprecedented sensitivity across near- and mid-infrared wavelengths cuts through the thick lanes of dust that obscure Centaurus A’s center in visible light, showing […]
NASA’s Webb Reveals Stars Sparking to Life in Cosmic Celebration
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the infrared light of numerous features that previously were impossible to see beyond the thick dust of the FS Tau star system. In addition to myriad background galaxies that burst into view like fireworks for the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations, this image flickers with a number of […]
NASA’s Webb Studies How Planet Survived Death of its Star
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is giving us new insight into the far-future of solar systems like our own, as the agency continues to reveal the secrets of the universe and our place in it. Billions of years ago, a Sun-like star nearing the end of its life swelled tremendously in size to become a […]
Pad — Ariane Launch Area 3
Local pad time: Dec 25, 9:20 AM GMT-3
118 launches from this pad · 334 from Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana
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