NASA’s Webb Space Telescope Launch Confirmed for Dec. 24

The James Webb Space Telescope is confirmed for the target launch date of Dec. 24, at 7:20 a.m. EST.

Late yesterday, teams at the launch site successfully completed encapsulation of the observatory inside the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space. Webb’s final launch readiness review will be held on Tuesday Dec. 21 and, if successful, roll-out is planned for Wednesday, Dec. 22.

Details of NASA’s prelaunch, launch, and postlaunch coverage are available on the agency’s website.