Webb placed on top of Ariane 5

Re:Webb placed on top of Ariane 5 by axby on Tuesday December 14, 2021 @11:22PM (#29562063)

As an extra question: when do we start getting data? Specifically, how long until we can start finding out if planets around other stars have oxygen, or even industrial pollutants like CFCs (my understanding is that if we see CFCs, it's almost certainly due to complex life and couldn't be a natural phenomenon. Oxygen is unfortunately more ambiguous, apparently).

Ever since I heard about JWST (I feel like it's been 8 years ago now), I was looking forward for an answer to this question. All the delays have been so painful...

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Re:Webb placed on top of Ariane 5 by dredmorbius on Wednesday December 15, 2021 @03:15AM (#29563269)

First light (or do IR 'scopes do "first heat"?) in June, 2022, if all goes well:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03620-1

30 days to achieve orbit.

Six months to settle, synchronise, allign, and calibrate.

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