Bright and early on Christmas morning, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is set for launch. Following a long ledger of unexpected delays and setbacks, astronomy's next great leap is finally scheduled to happen. Right now, the telescope is folded up at the tip of an Ariane 5 rocket in French Guiana, experiencing its last days on Earth.
Twenty years ago, the first bolts and blueprints of Webb came to fruition. Now, after decades of meticulous craftwork, innovation, hopes and dreams, one of the greatest scientific achievements of our generation is about to reach its big moment. Regardless of Saturday's outcome, this will be a date that'll go down in history.
✅ Rollout complete!
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) December 23, 2021
The James Webb Space Telescope and the @ariane5 rocket it’s riding on are all settled in their final position on Earth. Next step: launch on Dec. 25 at 7:20 am ET (12:20 UTC) to #UnfoldTheUniverse: https://t.co/ip2P4oAxJW
📸: NASA/Bill Ingalls pic.twitter.com/kkk4JDd5tu
The multi-billion dollar cosmic explorer is armed with technology that could unveil the unknown, unseen and mind-bendingly far reaches of our universe. It can show us, at last, what really happened just moments after the Big Bang and use powerful, precise infrared imaging to answer questions like: How did the very first stars form? Is there life beyond Earth? Are we missing a piece of the universe's puzzle?
Perhaps most baffling is the realization that with Webb, scientists may even find things they never thought to ask about. But for all these remarkable implications, the trailblazing telescope needs a flawless lift-off this Dec. 25.
Here's how to tune in.
How to watch NASA launch the James Webb Space Telescope
You can watch the momentous lift-off attempt, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021 at 4:20 a.m. PT (7:20 a.m. ET) online on NASA TV. We'll also be live-blogging the event bright and early on Christmas morning to keep you updated in real time on the ambitious liftoff.
Here's that time around the world:
- USA: 4:20 a.m. PT / 7:20 a.m. ET
- Brazil: 9:20 a.m. (Federal District)
- UK: 12:20 p.m.
- South Africa: 2:20 p.m.
- Russia: 3:20 p.m. (Moscow)
- UAE: 4:20 p.m.
- India: 5:50 p.m.
- China: 8:20 p.m.
- Japan: 9:20 p.m.
- Australia: 11:20 p.m. AEDT
In the meantime, you can catch up on all things James Webb here and take a deeper dive into the machinery here. Plus, be sure to check out CNET Highlights, our YouTube channel, for more of the latest mission details.
