Some waiting is only the final stretch of a much longer one. The James Webb Space Telescope, a $10 billion successor to Hubble that has already endured years of delay, now sits mounted atop its Ariane rocket at a spaceport in French Guiana, and NASA has pushed its launch back by at least two days, to no earlier than Dec. 24, because of a communication problem between the observatory and the rocket. The cause and its remedy remain unexplained for now, and the promise of further detail later in the week leaves the outcome open.
NASA Delays Webb Telescope Launch at Least Two Days Over Observatory-Rocket Communication Problem
The new date is a floor, not a promise.
Mark
So what actually happened here? The telescope was ready, wasn't it?
Mimi
It was on the rocket. It had been placed atop the Ariane last Saturday in French Guiana, and liftoff was set for Dec. 22. Then NASA said late Tuesday it's slipping to no earlier than Dec. 24.
Mark
And the reason?
Mimi
A communication problem between the observatory and the rocket.
Luke
That's all we know about it, and I'd keep it that way. The reporting doesn't say what failed, which side it's on, or whether it's a software issue or a hardware one. Anyone who fills that in is guessing.
Mark
Is two days a big deal, then?
Mimi
On its own, no. But Webb is the successor to Hubble, it costs $10 billion, and it has already been delayed by years. So every slip gets noticed.
Luke
Notice the wording, though. 'At least two days' and 'no earlier than Dec. 24.' That's a minimum. It could be longer, and NASA hasn't said.
Mark
Is there anything to look forward to?
Mimi
Officials said more information will come later this week.
Luke
Which means the honest status today is: delayed, cause only vaguely described, new date not firm.
Le Pouls
- The telescope is fully mounted on its rocket, so a fault in the link between them now stands between the hardware and open sky.
- NASA's announcement of a slip of at least two days, from Dec. 22 to no earlier than Dec. 24, lands on a program already years behind schedule.
- Officials have not described what kind of communication failure occurred or where in the system it lies, leaving engineers and observers guessing.
- The promised update later this week is the next checkpoint, and it will show whether Dec. 24 holds or whether liftoff drifts further out.
Some waiting is only the final stretch of a much longer one. The James Webb Space Telescope, a $10 billion successor to Hubble that has already endured years of delay, now sits mounted atop its Ariane rocket at a spaceport in French Guiana, and NASA has pushed its launch back by at least two days, to no earlier than Dec. 24, because of a communication problem between the observatory and the rocket. The cause and its remedy remain unexplained for now, and the promise of further detail later in the week leaves the outcome open.
The James Webb Space Telescope is already sitting on top of its rocket. Last Saturday it was mounted atop an Ariane at the European Space Agency's spaceport in French Guiana, and now it must wait a little longer before leaving the ground.
Late Tuesday, NASA announced that launch would slip by at least two days. Liftoff had been set for Dec. 22 and is now no earlier than Dec. 24. The new date is a floor, not a promise.
The cause, officials said, is a communication problem between the observatory and the rocket. What kind of problem it is, where it sits, and how long it might take to fix were not part of the release.
The telescope, a $10 billion successor to Hubble, has already been delayed for years. Against that history a couple of days seems small, yet it comes at the moment the hardware is fully assembled and the long wait is nearly over. The update promised later this week will show whether the new date holds.
The telescope is already sitting on top of the rocket. That is where the latest delay finds the James Webb Space Telescope, which was mounted atop an Ariane rocket last Saturday at the European Space Agency's spaceport in French Guiana, and which now has to wait a little longer to leave the ground.
NASA announced late Tuesday that the launch will be pushed back by at least two days. Liftoff had been scheduled for Dec. 22. It is now targeted for no earlier than Dec. 24. The phrasing matters: the new date is a floor, not a promise.
The cause, according to the announcement, is a communication problem between the observatory and the rocket. The reporting does not say what kind of problem it is, where in the system it sits, or how long it might take to resolve. Those details were not part of what NASA released.
What officials did say is that more information will be available later this week. Until then, the two-day slip is the only firm piece of the story, and even that is stated as a minimum.
The telescope carries a price tag of $10 billion. It is regarded as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, and it has already been delayed by years. Against that history, a couple of days is small, but it arrives at the stage when the hardware is fully assembled on the launch vehicle and the end of a very long wait is close.
The launch site is Europe's, not America's. The Ariane rocket and the spaceport in French Guiana belong to the European Space Agency's side of the partnership, while NASA made the announcement about the delay.
What to watch for is the update promised later this week. It should show whether Dec. 24 holds as a realistic target or whether the communication problem pushes liftoff further out.
Citations marquantes
More information will be available later this week.— NASA officials
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