ESA starts assembling Ariane 5 rocket ahead of Webb Telescope launch in December

Gearing up for the highly-awaited launch of the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope, The European Space Agency (ESA) has started assembling the parts of the Ariane 5 rocket. Touted as one of the most powerful rockets, Ariane 5 has 'woken up' after September, at the launch vehicle integration building. On the other hand, the Webb telescope, jointly developed by ESA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. In a statement, ESA reflected on the collaboration saying-

As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace.

In a tweet shared on Tuesday, Ariane Space presented the massive launch vehicle to prepare it for the upcoming launch on December 18. "It is time to wake up for our sleeping beauty! After a long journey from one side of the ocean to the other that ended in September, our #Ariane5 is waking up in our famous BIL and is getting ready for December 18 and the launch of @NASAWebb/@ESA_Webb! #WebbFliesAriane (sic)", it wrote:

Ariane 5 rocket and its might

The Ariane 5 rocket, which is being developed by ESA-owned Ariane Space, is a 30.5 metres long rocket that falls among the most powerful rockets ever designed. The rocket, measuring 5.4 m in diameter and has been raised vertically after unboxing it from the shipping container on November 6, informed ESA via a tweet on Tuesday.

According to ESA's statement, the rocket's Vulcain 2 engine provides 140 tonnes of thrust and it will contain 175 tonnes of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants in time for the launch next month. The agency revealed that the rocket also provides roll control during the main propulsion phase, a manoeuvre that will ensure that all parts of the payload are equally exposed to the sun, which will avoid overheating of any elements of Webb.

This week, the engineers will be conducting several mechanical and electrical checks on the rocket and its boosters, which are three metres in diameter and 31 metres high. As per ESA, the engineers will aim to achieve a thrust of about 1364 tonnes, an amount that will be required to push the rocket into space. Meanwhile, the Webb Telescope is sitting at ESA's launch site in French Guiana, waiting to be ferried to deep space on December 18. 

Image: Twitter/@Arianespace