NASA will provide coverage of prelaunch, launch, and postlaunch activities for the James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space science telescope.
Webb is targeted to launch at 7:20 a.m. EST Friday, Dec. 24, on an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America.
Live launch coverage in English will begin at 6 a.m. on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website. The public can also watch live on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, and Daily Motion. NASA also will offer a launch broadcast in Spanish beginning at 6:30 a.m. on the agency’s website and Spanish-language social media accounts. NASA will hold a prelaunch media briefing at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, and a postlaunch news conference approximately 30 minutes after the live launch broadcast ends on Friday, Dec. 24.
The Webb mission, an international partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency, will explore every phase of cosmic history – from within the solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between. Webb will reveal new and unexpected discoveries and help humanity understand the origins of the universe and our place in it.
Full mission coverage is as follows. All times are Eastern, and information is subject to change.
NASA Press Briefings
At 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, NASA will hold a virtual prelaunch media briefing with the following participants:
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington
Greg Robinson, Webb program director, NASA Headquarters
Beatriz Romero, Webb project director for launch services, Arianespace in Paris
On Friday, Dec. 24, approximately 30 minutes after Webb’s launch broadcast ends, a joint news conference will take place in Kourou.
Both briefings will stream on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.
To participate by telephone, media must RSVP no later than two hours before the start of each briefing to Laura Betz at: laura.e.betz@nasa.gov. Media and members of the public may also ask questions on social media using #UnfoldtheUniverse.
NASA’s media accreditation policy for virtual and onsite activities is available online.
NASA TV Launch Coverage in English
On launch day, a “clean feed” of the launch without commentary will be available by satellite feed. The uplink will begin at 7 a.m. and continue for an hour after launch. The clean feed will also be available on the Washington AVOC.
Launch coverage audio will be available via this satellite feed as well, with audio channels for English-, French-, and Spanish-language launch commentary, as well as “mission audio” without commentary.