Watch the Launch

Additional Media

James Webb Space Telescope Launch — Official NASA Broadcast

Watch the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope—the most powerful space telescope ever made. This mission is scheduled to lift off at 7:20 a.m. EST (12:20...

Arianespace Flight VA256 - Webb Space Telescope

Arianespace’s fourteenth launch of 2021 with the third Ariane 5 of the year will place Webb Space Telescope in a transfer orbit to Lagrange 2 point.Liftoff i...

James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), developed in partnership with ESA and CSA, is operated by AURA's Space Telescope Science Institute.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Circle Image

Overview

Destination: Sun-Earth L2
Mission: Astrophysics

Sun-Earth L2 Ariane Launch Area 3 Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope developed by NASA, ESA and CSA to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope as NASA's flagship astrophysics mission. Its primary mirror, the Optical Telescope Element, is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments which combine to create a 6.5 m diameter mirror, considerably larger than Hubble's 2.4 m mirror. This will allow JWST to provide improved infrared resolution and sensitivity over Hubble, and will enable a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology, including observing some of the most distant events and objects in the universe, such as the formation of the first galaxies.

Updates

SwGustav • Dec. 25, 2021, 12:58 p.m.

Successful launch confirmed


SwGustav • Dec. 21, 2021, 9:37 p.m.

Delaying by 24 hours due to adverse weather forecast


Jay • Dec. 17, 2021, 10:18 p.m.

Go for launch.


Cosmic_Penguin • Dec. 15, 2021, 12:25 a.m.

New NET date.


Cosmic_Penguin • Nov. 25, 2021, 12:56 a.m.

New launch date confirmed after additional spacecraft testing.


Ariane 5 ECA+

Family:
Configuration: ECA+

Ariane 5 ECA+ is a variant of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift vehicle, with a taller ECA-D upper stage.

Specifications
  • Max Stage
    2
  • Length
    57.7 m
  • Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    5.4 m
  • Launch Mass
    780.0 T
  • Thrust
    11400.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Ariane 5 ECA+
  • Family
  • Variant
    ECA+
  • Alias
  • Full Name
    Ariane 5 ECA+
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
  • Low Earth Orbit
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    10200.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity

ArianeGroup

ArianeGroup

(AG)

CEO: Martin Sion Founded: 2015 Successes: 0 Failures: 0 Pending: 0

Agency Type:

ArianeGroup (formerly Airbus Safran Launchers) is an aerospace company based in France. A joint venture between Airbus and Safran, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux. It consists of three core arms: aerospace, defence and security.

INFO WIKI

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Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana

Ariane Launch Area 3


Falcon 9
Success
8 hours, 58 minutes ago
SpainSat NG I
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

First of two new-generation satellites built by Airbus to provide secure communications to the Spanish government, its allies, and various internatio…


GSLV Mk II
Success
1 day, 9 hours ago
IRNSS-1K (NVS-02)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …


Falcon 9
Success
2 days, 12 hours ago
Starlink Group 12-7
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
5 days, 20 hours ago
Starlink Group 11-6
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 3
Success
6 days, 19 hours ago
TJSW-14
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Chinese classified satellite claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.


Long March 6A
Success
1 week ago
G60 Polar Group 06
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technolo…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 1 day ago
Starlink Group 11-8
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 2 days ago
Starlink Group 13-1
Launch Complex 39A - Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Ceres-1
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
5 satellites
Launch Area 95A - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Carried 5 satellites to sun synchronous orbit: * Yunyao-1 37 to 40 * Jitianxing A-05


Long March 2D
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
PRSC-EO1
Launch Area 4 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

Optical Earth observation satellite for SUPARCO of Pakistan. Hitchhiking payloads: * DAO-1 * Blue Carbon 1