And it is possible that the launch process will take place, Saturday, on December 25, instead of the scheduled date, which is Friday, so it will be a real Christmas gift for astronomers all over the world, who have been waiting for this new observatory for three decades.
And the US space agency (NASA) announced in a statement that the launch was “postponed” due to “bad weather,” noting that “the new launch date is December 25,” as soon as possible within an open launch window between 12:20 and 12:52 GMT.
And “NASA” explained that “a new weather report will be published later to confirm the date of December 25,” noting that the rocket and telescope are currently inside a building.
This is the third time that the launch of the telescope has been postponed due to minor problems, as the first delay was linked to an accident that occurred during the telescope’s preparations at the end of November, while the second delay was due to a connection problem with the Earth system.
Shortly after the new delay was announced, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wrote on Twitter, “Thank you to the teams (…) who worked overtime to ensure a safe launch” of the telescope.
“The countdown to December 25 has begun,” he added, and attached his message with a symbolic drawing representing a gift.
“It’s an extraordinary mission, and a shining example of what we can achieve when we dream big,” Nelson said at the last press conference organized by the US Space Agency before launch, adding, “Web will change our view of the universe.”
“James Webb represents an exciting new decade of science for NASA and the entire international community,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, Director of Science Missions at NASA.
The telescope, a jewel of super-complex engineering, was built in the United States under the supervision of “NASA”, and includes instruments from the European and Canadian Space Agency.
James Webb was presented as the successor to the Hubble telescope, which was launched in 1990. Its mission will include discovering all the stages of space with high accuracy, up to the early ages of the universe and the formation of the first galaxies.
It will be placed in an orbit around the sun at a distance of one and a half kilometers from Earth.
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