MG with AFP –
Joint NASA and Arianespace teams “successfully encapsulated the observatory in the Ariane 5 rocket”NASA explained when the telescope arrived in Kourou in October. Already perched on top of the rocket, he was thus locked in his cap. A general review of the launch will take place on December 21, and if everything is ready, the rocket will be brought to its launch pad on December 22, said the US space organization.
An ultra-complex engineering gem, the JWST will be the largest and most powerful telescope ever to be sent into space. It was built in the United States under the direction of NASA, and incorporates instruments from the European (ESA) and Canadian (CSA) space agencies. The JWST must explore with unparalleled precision all phases of the cosmos, right down to the first ages of the Universe and the formation of the first galaxies. It will be placed in orbit around the Sun, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. NASA and Arianespace have invested nearly 10 billion dollars and 20 years in the design of this instrument.