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 is planned on Saturday, December 25, 2021, as early as possible within the following launch window: • Between 07:20 a.m. and 07:52 a.m. Washington, D.C. time, • Between 09:20 a.m. and 09:52 a.m. Kourou time, • Between 12:20 p.m. and 12:52 p.m. Universal time (UTC), • Between 01:20 p.m. and 01:52 p.m. Paris time, • Between 09:20 p.m. and 09:52 p.m. Tokyo time. Intended as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the Webb Space Telescope was funded by three space agencies: the United States (NASA), Europe (ESA) and Canada (CSA). The telescope will be 100 times more powerful, and will incorporate improved and different technologies to capture 70% more light. Because of these improvements, astronomers will be able to make unprecedented observations that show the first stars and galaxies to be formed after the Big Bang. After a journey lasting 29 days,