NASA resumes Webb Telescope's launch preparations as no anomaly was found post mishandling

Providing an update on the James Webb Space Telescope’s status, NASA informed on Thursday that additional testing of the observatory has been completed by the engineers and launch preparations have resumed again. Earlier targeted for launch on December 18, the data was postponed to December 22 after the telescope underwent mishandling at the satellite preparation facility in French Guiana’s Kourou in South America. NASA is now confident that none of Webb's instruments was harmed in the incident and that the telescope is ready for launch.

The incident that shook Webb

Earlier on Tuesday, NASA had announced to delay the launch as the Webb telescope suffered an incident at its launch site, where final tests are being conducted. It was reported that a sudden and unplanned release of the clamp band securing Webb to its launch vehicle sent vibrations throughout the telescope. An anomaly review board was immediately up for an investigation to determine if any component of the telescope was damaged. 

No observatory components were damaged: NASA

In a blog published by the agency today, it was revealed that tests and investigations by the review board revealed that no components of the observatory were damaged in the incident. Following the confirmation, NASA has approved the commencement of fueling the telescope after a “consent to fuel” review was held. It is expected that the fueling of Webb will be completed in the next ten days.

Launching the most powerful telescope ever built

The Webb telescope will be sent out into space on December 22 after it lifts off from the French Guiana spaceport at 5.50 pm. Built at a cost of $10 billion, the Webb telescope will "explore every phase of cosmic history", says NASA. It further says that Webb would help humanity understand its place and the origins of the universe through explorations from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe. Scientists have already selected certain exoplanets that will be a target of the telescope once it reaches its destination. The Webb telescope will be deployed at the second Lagrange point or L2 which is 1.5 million kilometres from our planet.

(Image: Twitter/@NASA)