NASA has once again delayed the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope was slated for lift-off on December 18. However, the date has been postponed. The agency said that it has fixed December 22 as the new date for the launch of the new powerful space observatory. NASA said that the launch was delayed due to an incident while preparations for the launch event. It said that the incident occurred when technicians were preparing to attach James Webb Space Telescope to the adapter of the launch vehicle. It said that vibration was caused in the entire observatory because of the release of a clamp band. The incident took place in French Guiana.
According to NASA, the launch vehicle adapter is a crucial element of the observatory. It is used for the integration of the telescope with the upper stage of the Ariane 5 rocket. NASA said that the vibration caused the delay. The delay will allow engineers to perform additional tests before the launch. The agency said that a review board was summoned immediately to the site. The board convened investigated the problem. The board called for additional testing to ensure that the vibration didn’t damage other components. NASA said that it will share an update once the testing is over. The telescope is a joint project by three space agencies — NASA, CSA, and ESA.
The James Webb Space Telescope will succeed the Hubble Space Telescope. It is bigger than the Hubble. The Hubble telescope was launched in 1990. It operates in low Earth orbit and has provided some spectacular views of the cosmos. It has helped scientists in solving space mysteries. NASA has described the James Webb Space Telescope as the world’s most complex observatory. It has witnessed several delays. The telescope was first scheduled to be launched in March 2021. The date was pushed back to October due to technical challenges and the pandemic. Just before the launch, NASA again pushed back the date to December 18. The observatory will explore cosmic history. NASA expects that the telescope will help humanity to understand the universe in a better way.
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