James Webb Space Telescope Completes Fueling Ahead of December 22 Launch
NASA and its international partners finish fueling the James Webb Space Telescope, keeping the long-delayed mission on track for its December 22 liftoff from French Guiana.
Mission team members successfully complete the fueling process for the James Webb Space Telescope ahead of its planned December 22 launch. This critical milestone takes 10 days to finish and involves loading the observatory with dinitrogen tetroxide oxidizer and hydrazine fuel. The collaborative effort between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency keeps the telescope on schedule despite over two decades of development delays.
The fueling process requires precise handling to fill Webb's propellant tanks with 21 gallons of oxidizer and 42 gallons of hydrazine. The oxidizer specifically improves the burn efficiency of the hydrazine fuel, which the telescope needs for major course corrections and mid-flight maneuvers once it reaches space. With this hazardous step now safely behind them, engineers move forward with confidence.
Now that the telescope is fully fueled, the mission enters the combined operations phase where the rocket and telescope teams work together. Crews mount Webb atop an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket and encapsulate it within the rocket's protective fairing. The assembled vehicle then moves to the Final Assembly building for final preparations before the highly anticipated liftoff.