--- title: "NASA Pushes Back James Webb Launch After Mysterious “Incident”" description: "After decades of delays and billions of dollar spent, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is encountering more hiccups ahead of its launch later this year." date: "2021-11-23" modified: "2021-11-23" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-james-webb-launch-incident" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "james webb space telescope" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # NASA Pushes Back James Webb Launch After Mysterious “Incident” ![After decades of delays and billions of dollar spent, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is encountering more hiccups ahead of its launch later this year.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Unplanned Release After decades of delays and billions of dollar spent, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is encountering even more hiccups ahead of its launch — and this time, it appears to be plain old human error. This time, technicians encountered a heart-stopping "incident" while mounting the structure to the Ariane 5 rocket's launch vehicle adapter. "A sudden, unplanned release of a clamp band — which secures Webb to the launch vehicle adapter — caused a vibration throughout the observatory," a [NASA update]() reads — the very, very last thing anybody wants to hear when it comes to a structure that features an array of mirrors 21 feet across. The slipup pushed back the launch of the massive space telescope to no earlier than December 22, according to NASA, "to allow for additional testing." It's still unclear if the orbital observatory was damaged as a result, but NASA says it'll release an update by the end of the week. ## More Delays The original plan was to launch the James Webb on December 18 on the Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket from the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The telescope, which is anticipated to revolutionize our understanding of the early universe, has been in development for over two decades, with construction and launch being pushed back countless times over the years. Most recently, NASA [blamed the COVID-19 pandemic]() for even further delays. This week's incident couldn't have come at a worse time, with the launch being less than a month away. All we can do now is hope that the massive structure survived fully in tact and that NASA can finally move on. "I am confident the team will do everything they can to prepare Webb to explore our cosmic past," Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, [tweeted on Monday](). "\[The observatory\] is going to unfold the universe in ways that are unimaginable," he added. "Certainly, this step is worth the wait." **READ MORE:** [An “incident” with the James Webb Space Telescope has occurred]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on the telescope:** *[Video Shows Glorious Unboxing of James Webb Space Telescope]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()