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World’s Most Powerful Telescope Gets Ready for Christmas Launch

The world’s largest and most powerful telescope was recently moved to the launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope is currently all tucked inside the fairing of ESA’s Ariane 5 rocket, and it’s waiting to take off on Christmas to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
Webb gears up for Christmas launch 8 photos
Photo: ESA
Webb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch padWebb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch padWebb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch padWebb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch padWebb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch padWebb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch padWebb on Ariane 5 moves to the launch pad
After decades of delays and ongoing preparations, the powerful observatory seems to be finally ready for its million-mile (1.5 million-kilometer) space journey. Webb is an international partnership between NASA and European and Canadian space agencies. Initially, the telescope was scheduled for take-off in 2007, but the launch was pushed back several times.

This year, the telescope was supposed to start its historic voyage on December 18th from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. However, due to an issue encountered during its final preparations, the launch was once again delayed. As a result, Webb has been sitting inside an Ariane 5 rocket’s fairing for a week now, being closely monitored.

The fairing acts as a protective capsule that keeps the observatory safe on its last days on Earth, maintaining a controlled temperature and humidity. The 174-foot-tall (53-meter-tall) rocket was recently moved to the launch zone, where final preparations are underway. This includes filling the propellant tanks of its core stage with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen and running checks of its electrical and software configurations.

About 20 minutes before liftoff, Webb will switch to internal battery power. Then, the only thing left for both the giant telescope and the Ariane 5 rocket is to be certified for flight and go beyond our skies.
The giant observatory will leave Earth on Christmas and travel for about a month until it reaches its final destination in space, the second Lagrange point (or four times the distance to the Moon).

Once there, Webb will spread out its 21-ft (6,5-meter) golden mirror and act as a time machine, helping scientists look into how galaxies and planets were formed and search for alien worlds that could possibly sustain life.
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About the author: Florina Spînu
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Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature.
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