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On Thursday 23 December, the James Webb Space Telescope, safely stowed inside the fairing of ESA’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle, left the final assembly building for roll-out to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Webb, no longer in sight since its encapsulation in the fairing on 17 December, has been closely monitored. The fairing is equipped with specialised environmental controls that keep the observatory in a perfectly controlled temperature and humidity range during its final few days on Earth.
Ariane 5, standing 53 m high on its mobile launch tower was transported by a special vehicle from the final preparation building to the launch zone where final health checks and preparations for liftoff will occur.
This includes filling the propellant tanks of the Ariane 5 core stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen via lines through the launch table.
Final electrical and software configurations will also occur on the launch pad. Webb will switch to internal battery power about 20 minutes prior to liftoff, and within 15 minutes prior to liftoff the observatory and its launch vehicle will both be fully cleared for flight.
Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace.
Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and interactive brochure.
Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja
Liftoff of an Ariane 5 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana with ESA’s last Automated Transfer Vehicle to the International Space Station.
Credit: ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2014
The fairing of the Ariane 5 launcher is lowered over the BepiColombo spacecraft stack.
Credits: ESA-Manuel Pedoussaut
After being fuelled for launch in the hazardous processing facility, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) was transferred to the final assembly building. To enable the transfer, Juice was first carefully attached to the conical adaptor mounted on the air cushion platform that we see in this image.
The operators wore bright yellow suits for this task; these are used whenever hazardous operations are carried out, for example when a spacecraft is moved.
In the final assembly building Juice was attached to the Ariane 5 rocket that will carry it into space.
Juice is being prepared to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 April 2023. After an eight-year journey to Jupiter, the mission will make detailed observations of the gas giant and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of instruments. The mission will characterise these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats, explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth, and study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the Universe.
Find out more about Juice in ESA’s launch kit
Credits: 2023 ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE / Optique vidéo du CSG – P BAUDON
After it's arrival at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of launch, the James Webb Space Telescope is unboxed inside a dedicated spacecraft preparation facility where it will be examined to ensure that it is undamaged from its voyage and in good working order.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG - P.Piron
Launch teams monitor the countdown of the launch of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Center at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen at the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket launches with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, from the ELA-3 Launch Zone of Europe’s Spaceport at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.
Photo Credit: (NASA/Chris Gunn)
Image descrption: Webb’s Ariane 5 rocket launches from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. A glowing, white-yellow stream of gas and fire is streaming from the rocket towards the ground below. The ground is covered with puffy clouds of pink-orange gas. In the background, lit up by the launch, is a building that is emblazoned with dark blue European Space Agency (ESA) and Ariane logos. The sky is a dark blue-gray and largely cloudy.
Monitors show the current status ahead of the launch of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Center at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Ariane 5 flight VA233, carrying four Galileo satellites, on ELA-3 launch zone, on 16 November 2016.
Liftoff of Ariane flight VA233, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is planned for 17 November 2016.
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016
Preparing the Eutelsat Quantum satellite for transport from the S5B facility to the Final Assembly Building (BAF) and the hoist onto the Ariane 5 launcher, at Europe's Space Port in Kourou, French Guyana on 21 July 2021.
Quantum, the ESA Partnership Project with Eutelsat, Airbus and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, is a pioneering mission preparing the way for the next generation of telecommunications satellites, which will be more flexible by design and so more adaptable to customer needs once in orbit.
Quantum is a shift from custom-designed satellite with one-off payloads to a more generic approach, resulting in unprecedented in-orbit reconfigurability in coverage, frequency and power, allowing complete mission rehaul, including orbital position.
ESA partnered with satellite operator Eutelsat and manufacturer Airbus to design this programme, in response to today's market requiring satellites to be able to respond to changes in geographical or performance demand, either during manufacturing or after launch. This will enable the operator to address emerging business opportunities — even those that appear after it has ordered a satellite.
Such ESA Partnership Projects maximise the benefits to industry thanks to an efficient, co-managed approach that is tailored to commercial best practice.
Credits: ESA - M. Pedoussaut
Ariane 5 VA 260 with Juice, start of rollout on Tuesday 11 April.
Juice is being prepared to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 April 2023.
Juice – JUpiter ICy moons Explorer – is humankind’s next bold mission to the outer Solar System. This ambitious mission will characterise Ganymede, Callisto and Europa with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life. Juice will monitor Jupiter’s complex magnetic, radiation and plasma environment in depth and its interplay with the moons, studying the Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giant systems across the Universe.
Following launch, Juice will embark on an eight-year journey to Jupiter, arriving in July 2031 with the aid of momentum and direction gained from four gravity-assist fly-bys of the Earth-Moon system, Venus and, twice, Earth.
Flight VA260 will be the final Ariane 5 flight to carry an ESA mission to space.
Find out more about Juice in ESA’s launch kit
Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja
Launch teams monitor the countdown of the launch of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Center at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
After it's arrival at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana ahead of launch, the James Webb Space Telescope is unboxed inside a dedicated spacecraft preparation facility where it will be examined to ensure that it is undamaged from its voyage and in good working order.
Credits: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique vidéo du CSG - P.Piron
ESA (European Space Agency) Director-General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, 2nd from left, and NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen, 3rd from left, celebrate after hearing confirmation that the James Webb Space Telescope successfully separated from the Ariane 5 rocket, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Hall of the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is ready to be rolled out to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen, center, reacts after hearing confirmation that the James Webb Space Telescope successfully separated from the Ariane 5 rocket, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Hall of the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen in the final assembly building ahead of the planned roll to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is rolled out to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe's Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history -from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.
Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket launches with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, from the ELA-3 Launch Zone of Europe’s Spaceport at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Liftoff of Ariane flight VA233, carrying four Galileo satellites, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 17 November 2016.
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016
Ariane 5 flight VA233, carrying four Galileo satellites, on ELA-3 launch zone, on 16 November 2016.
Liftoff of Ariane flight VA233, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is planned for 17 November 2016.
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen ahead of rollout to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
After being fuelled for launch in the hazardous processing facility, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) was transferred to the final assembly building. To enable the transfer, Juice was first carefully attached to the conical adaptor mounted on the air cushion platform that we see in this image.
The operators wore bright yellow suits for this task; these are used whenever hazardous operations are carried out, for example when a spacecraft is moved.
In the final assembly building Juice was attached to the Ariane 5 rocket that will carry it into space.
Juice is being prepared to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 April 2023. After an eight-year journey to Jupiter, the mission will make detailed observations of the gas giant and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of instruments. The mission will characterise these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats, explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth, and study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the Universe.
Find out more about Juice in ESA’s launch kit
Credits: 2023 ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE / Optique vidéo du CSG – P BAUDON
Samples of the multi-layer insulation and coatings planned to cover the skin of ESA’s Juice spacecraft were subjected to a beam from the electron gun anchored at the top of this Electrostatic Discharge chamber before being selected for the mission to Jupiter.
Space might be a vacuum, but it is far from empty. Once ESA’s Juice spacecraft embarks on its eight-year journey to Jupiter, encounters with charged particles and radiation can gradually build up electrostatic charges across its surfaces. These in turn could perturb the mission’s instruments to measure the electromagnetic and plasma environment surrounding the spacecraft.
Some charging buildup is inevitable but in particular mission designers wished to avoid differential charging across the spacecraft: as well as disturbing instrument readings these might even in the worst case trigger damaging ‘electrostatic discharge’, resembling space lightning.
Accordingly all the surface layers of the Juice spacecraft have been designed to be as conductive as possible, to prevent any buildup of charge. But the sustained low temperatures of the Jupiter system, coupled with ageing effects, has the potential to increase resistance of materials over time, making charge accumulations more likely.
The ESD Chamber, part of ESA’s Materials and Electrical Components Laboratory at ESTEC in the Netherlands, was therefore used to test the charging properties of candidate materials. Its interior can be pumped down to a space-quality vacuum and it incorporates a liquid nitrogen cryogenic shroud to take temperatures down to -150°C. Test samples are placed on a baseplate whose temperature can be controlled down to -240°C.
Charging investigations were carried out on multi-layer insulation, candidate coatings and also the treated cover glass of solar panels, checking in particular how charging properties changed with temperature.
For more information on how the Juice mission was kept ‘clean’ in terms of electromagnetism and plasma buildups, click here.
Credits: ESA
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen ahead of rollout to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
On Wednesday 5 June 2013, Ariane 5 VA213 with the ESA’s fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, Albert Einstein, lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
For more images, please click here.
Credits : ESA–M. Pedoussaut, 2013
An unusual view of an Ariane launch. This fish-eye lens view was taken on 12 February 2009 viewing the lift-off and flight of Ariane 5 ECA V187, carrying Hot Bird™ 10, NSS-9 and two Spirale microsatellites, from Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana.
Since it became operational in 1999, ESA’s Ariane 5 rockets have launched satellites for communications, Earth observation and scientific research. Ariane 5 made its first successful launch on 30 October 1997, but its first operational flight took place in December 1999 when it launched ESA’s XMM Newton satellite.
For more information:
www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home/index.html
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Service Optique Video du CSG (P. Baudon)
Liftoff of an Ariane 5 launcher from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana with ESA’s last Automated Transfer Vehicle to the International Space Station, ATV Georges Lemaître. ATV-5 launched at 23:47 UTC on 29 July 2014.
Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
NASA James Webb Space Telescope Program Scientist Eric Smith reacts after hearing confirmation that the James Webb Space Telescope successfully separated from the Ariane 5 rocket, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Hall of the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
After being fuelled for launch in the hazardous processing facility, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) was transferred to the final assembly building. To enable the transfer, Juice was first carefully attached to the conical adaptor mounted on the air cushion platform that we see in this image.
The operators wore bright yellow suits for this task; these are used whenever hazardous operations are carried out, for example when a spacecraft is moved.
In the final assembly building Juice was attached to the Ariane 5 rocket that will carry it into space.
Juice is being prepared to launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on 13 April 2023. After an eight-year journey to Jupiter, the mission will make detailed observations of the gas giant and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with a suite of instruments. The mission will characterise these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats, explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth, and study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants across the Universe.
Find out more about Juice in ESA’s launch kit
Credits: 2023 ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE / Optique vidéo du CSG – P BAUDON
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket, with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen in this false color infrared exposure as it is rolled out to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.
Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen in the final assembly building ahead of the planned roll to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.
Photo Credit: (NASA/Chris Gunn)
Launch teams monitor the countdown to the launch of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Center at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
The Quantum satellite is being placed in its transport container at Aibus Toulouse before being shipped to Europe's Space Port in Kourou, French Guyana on 24 June 2021.
Quantum, the ESA Partnership Project with Eutelsat, Airbus and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, is a pioneering mission preparing the way for the next generation of telecommunications satellites, which will be more flexible by design and so more adaptable to customer needs once in orbit.
Quantum is a shift from custom-designed satellite with one-off payloads to a more generic approach, resulting in unprecedented in-orbit reconfigurability in coverage, frequency and power, allowing complete mission rehaul, including orbital position.
ESA partnered with satellite operator Eutelsat and manufacturer Airbus to design this programme, in response to today's market requiring satellites to be able to respond to changes in geographical or performance demand, either during manufacturing or after launch. This will enable the operator to address emerging business opportunities — even those that appear after it has ordered a satellite.
Such ESA Partnership Projects maximise the benefits to industry thanks to an efficient, co-managed approach that is tailored to commercial best practice
Credits: ESA - M. Pedoussaut
The Ariane 5 launcher containing Europe's largest telecom satellite Alphasat was rolled out to the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana at 11 am local time on 24 July, arriving 90 minutes later.
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG
Ariane 5 flight VA219, which is set to carry ATV Georges Lemaître into orbit, on the launch pad, on 28 July 2014.
ATV-5 is set to carry almost 6.6 tonnes of supplies to the International Space Station, including a record amount of dry cargo – around 2682 kg.
Launch of the fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV-5, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is scheduled for 23:47 UTC on 29 July (01:47 CEST; 30 July).
ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
This is the launcher that will transport BepiColombo to orbit. The upper part with the spacecraft and the fairing will be integrated in the ‘final assembly building’.
The image captures the transfer of the Ariane 5 launcher from the ‘launcher integration building’ to the ‘final assembly building’ at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou last week.
BepiColombo is a joint endeavour between ESA and JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. It is the first European mission to Mercury, the smallest and least explored planet in the inner Solar System, and the first to send two spacecraft to make complementary measurements of the planet’s dynamic environment at the same time.
Launch is currently scheduled for 01:45 GMT on 20 October. Check for updates and follow the launch live
Credits: ESA-H. Ritter
Ariane 5 flight VA219, which is set to carry ATV Georges Lemaître into orbit, during transfer from the BAF (Final Assembly Building) to the launch pad, on 28 July 2014.
ATV-5 is set to carry almost 6.6 tonnes of supplies to the Station, including a record amount of dry cargo – around 2682 kg.
Launch of the fifth Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV-5, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is scheduled for 23:47 UTC on 29 July (01:47 CEST; 30 July).
Credit: ESA–S. Corvaja, 2014
The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury lifts off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou.
Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja
Ariane 5 flight VA233, carrying four Galileo satellites, during transfer from the BAF (Final Assembly Building) to the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone, on 15 November 2016.
Liftoff of Ariane flight VA233, from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is planned for 17 November 2016.
Watch the launch via the ESA website.
Credit: ESA–Stephane Corvaja, 2016
The Ariane 5 launcher carrying Alphasat is transferred to the launch pad at Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. 24 July 2013.
Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Optique Video du CSG
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen ahead of rollout to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen at the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen at the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is ready to be rolled out to the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, is seen at the launch pad, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Workers sweep the tracks in advance of the rollout to the launch pad of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope onboard, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021, at Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. The observatory will study every phase of cosmic history—from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)