Space, another postponement for Webb: this time it’s the weather

It is the “adverse weather conditions” that this time stop the launch of the James Webb super space telescope, an extraordinary space mission by NASA, ESA and Canadian CNSA. The European Space Agency explains that “the Launch Readiness Review for Flight Va256 for the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope was successfully completed” on December 21 “and concluded with the authorization to perform the rollout of the launch vehicle and the start of launch history “. However, “due to adverse weather conditions at the European spaceport in French Guiana, flight Va256, originally scheduled for December 24, has been postponed” explains ESa confirming that the new scheduled launch date is December 25, the first possible within the launch window 12: 20–12: 52 GMT, 13: 20–13: 52 Cet (Italian time). Today evening, local time in Kourou, “another weather forecast will be issued to confirm the launch date of December 25. The Ariane 5 launch vehicle and Webb are in stable and safe condition in the final assembly building.” adds the ESA. Webb will depart with an Ariane 5 from the European spaceport of Kourou, in French Guiana. The new postponement arrived in the final review phase of the launch but a technical problem had already slowed down the flight of the telescope scheduled for last December 22nd. The launch that should have taken place today had been postponed due to a technical problem “99% due to a connection, to an interface” as explained by the Head of Flight Programs of ESA, Stefano Bianchi, during a conference Press. The problem had manifested itself “in the transmission of data through the launcher, data that come from some satellite instruments, in particular communication instruments, there are data drops: some data are lost” Bianchi said.