James Webb Space Telescope Successfully Deploys Solar Array After Launch
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launches from South America on an Ariane 5 rocket and immediately deploys its solar array to power the observatory.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launches at 7:20 a.m. EST on December 25, 2021, riding an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. A camera on the rocket's upper stage captures the exact moment the observatory separates from the launch vehicle at 7:47 a.m. EST.
Thanks to the highly precise trajectory of the Ariane 5 rocket, the mission captures stunning footage of Webb's solar array deployment immediately after separation. This critical array successfully powers on the observatory as it travels through space.
Back on Earth, team members at the Mission Operations Center at the Space Telescope Science Institute watch the milestone closely. They prepare to take control of the telescope and send the first commands to initiate a complex series of deployments on Webb's journey to the L2 orbit.