NASA's $10 Billion Space Telescope To Launch In December

NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful ever built, will launch on December 18 on an Ariane 5 rocket.

The James Webb Space Telescope, which astronomers hope will herald a new era of discovery, will launch on December 18, NASA said Wednesday. The $10 billion observatory, which is a joint project by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, will blast off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Spaceport in French Guiana. It is currently stowed at contractor Northrop Grumman's facilities in Redondo Beach, California, where it is awaiting shipping. "Webb is an exemplary mission that signifies the epitome of perseverance," said Webb's NASA program director Gregory Robinson in a statement.