Ariane flight VA256

Ariane flight VA256
VA256
Ariane flight VA256 moments after lift-off
Ariane 5 ECA launch
Launch12:20:00, 25 December 2021 (UTC) (2021-12-25T12:20:00UTC) (14 hours ago)
OperatorArianespace
PadELA-3
Payload
OutcomeSuccessful
Ariane launches
← VA255
VA257 →

Ariane flight VA256 is the 256th Ariane mission, which launched the James Webb Space Telescope into space on December 25, 2021 (UTC).

Launch configuration

Rocket

Ariane 5 is a heavy lift two-stage rocket with two solid fuel boosters. It was used in its ECA variant, which offers the highest payload mass capacity. The total launch mass of the vehicle is of the order of 770,000 kg (1,700,000 lb).

Payload

The only payload on the flight was the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a NASA/ESA space-based observatory. The launch is one of the European Space Agency's contributions to the project. The telescope had a launch mass of about 6,500 kg (14,300 lb) and a design lifetime of 5 to 10 years.

Preparation campaign

Arrival in Kourou

The payload arrived in Kourou, French Guiana, on 12 October 2021 where it was unloaded from the MN Colibri cargo ship and transported to the space centre.

Unloading from the MN Colibri

Integration activities

Integration incident

On 22 November 2021 an incident was reported by NASA and Arianespace that a clamp band securing the payload to the adapter was released during integration activities, causing vibrations to the telescope. After some tests were performed, a review board concluded on 24 November 2021 that no payload component was damaged, and fuelling operations could be started on the next day, with the launch planned for 22 December 2021 at that time.

Fuelling operations

JWST in the Ariane rocket

Spacecraft fuelling operations began on 25 November 2021, the fuelling system was disconnected on 3 December 2021, and verifications were concluded on 5 December 2021. The spacecraft was filled with approximately 168 kg (370 lb) of hydrazine and 133 kg (293 lb) of dinitrogen tetroxide.

Final assembly

Following the rocket, which had already arrived on 29 November 2021, the telescope was moved to the final assembly building (Bâtiment d’Assemblage Final or BAF) on 7 December 2021. The payload was encapsulated inside the fairing on top of the rocket on 21 December 2021.

Interface communication issue

On 14 December 2021, a joint press release by NASA and Arianespace revealed that "a communication issue between the observatory and the launch vehicle system" was being tackled, further delaying the launch to no earlier than 24 December 2021.

Weather issue

Unfavorable weather forecasts for 24 December 2021 delayed the launch 24 hours to 25 December 2021.

In the cleanroom

Launch

JWST and Ariane 5 Rollout
Ariane 5 and JWST at the ELA-3 launch pad

The rocket was launched from the ELA-3 launch pad of the Guiana Space Centre on 25 December 2021 at 12:20 UTC (09:20 local time, 7:20 am U.S. EST).

Orbit

The James Webb Space Telescope was injected into a transfer trajectory that will take it to the second Earth-Sun Lagrange point (L2).

The separation of the launch vehicle second stage and the spacecraft occurred approximately 30 minutes after liftoff. The second stage was able to download images of the separation and initial deployment of the solar panels. After this separation, the telescope became autonomous and began deploying its mechanisms. In about 30 days it will execute a maneuver placing it in a halo orbit around the L2 point, where it can begin its science mission.

See also


This page was last updated at 2021-12-26 06:33 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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