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Kourou, French Guiana- (ENEWSPF) – Taking advantage of the Earth’s rotation near the equator to give an extra boost, the James Webb Space Telescope is expected to take off from Kourou, French Guiana, on December 22. Take-off is currently scheduled for 7:20 a.m. EST. The technicians above are packing the rocket that will be used to propel the James Webb Telescope into space.
The James Webb space telescope will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket. The launcher is part of the European contribution to the mission. The Ariane 5 is one of the most reliable launchers in the world, capable of delivering Webb to its destination in space. The European Space Agency (ESA) has agreed to provide an Ariane 5 launcher and associated NASA launch services for Webb. Ariane 5’s record for successful consecutive launches is 80 (at June 28, 2017).
Webb will be launched from Arianespace’s ELA-3 launch complex at the European spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana. It is beneficial if the launch sites are located near the equator – the rotation of the Earth can help give additional thrust. The surface of the Earth at the equator is moving at 1,670 km / h.
The launch segment consists of 3 main components:
1. Launcher: an Ariane 5 with cryogenic upper stage. It will be supplied in the single launch configuration, with a long payload fairing offering a maximum static diameter of 4.57 meters and a working length of 16.19 meters.
2. Payload adapter, comprising the Cone 3936 plus ACU 2624 lower cylinder and clamping band, which provides the mechanical and electrical interface between the Webb observatory and the launch vehicle.
3. Preparation of the launch campaign and launch campaign. The preparation of the launch campaign and the launch campaign are the mutual responsibility of NASA, ESA, NGAS and Arianespace.
After launch, the telescope will deploy on its 30-day, million-kilometer journey to the second Lagrange point (L2). This video shows the deployment procedure, timeline, and satellite location during deployment. Learn more about the telescope’s final orbit around L2.
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