Astrophysicists count down days ’til telescope launch

"This image is a composite of nine wide-angle photos of the biggest clean room at NASA Goddard when the uncovered flight primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope was tilted into a vertical position. An Arieane 5 rocket will launch it into space. Photo by NASA/Francis Reddy (Syneren Technologies) Twenty-five years in the making, the James Webb space telescope (Webb) is set to launch on Christmas Day. And while there have been a few delays along the way, Western astrophysicist Els Peeters says the timing is perfect as the launch makes for an excellent Christmas present. "It's super exciting that we're counting down in days, not in months or years. If there was a delay now, it will likely only be a day or two. It's a very nice Christmas present.