NASA's most expensive and most advanced telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, was soon transported into the sky by a rocket. The space agency was clearly concerned, and so were the astronomers.
The James Webb telescope was built for more than 20 years at a cost of over USD 10 billion. If the launch is problematic or even fails, NASA will certainly be distraught.
"I will almost certainly watch the launch and will be shaking until it's finished," said professor Chandra Prescod Weinstein, a physicist at the University of New Hamphsire.
The telescope is being carried by an Ariana 5 rocket and will be flown from the runway in French Guiana on December 22. Last month, there was a technical problem that caused the delay.
Even in space, the James Webb telescope still has to undergo a complex series of operations that can take up to 6 months to operate.
"Any failure with the James Webb Space Telescope would be catastrophic for NASA," said Cambridge University astronomer Martin Rees. Unfortunately, even the slightest failure is still possible.
But if all goes according to plan, NASA and astronomers should rejoice. It's hard to contain excitement at the potential discoveries this telescope might make.
The super-telescope is designed to be able to see the universe further, as well as into the past, than has been observed so far. Also exoplanets that have not been detected so far.
The James Webb telescope is expected to detect light from the first stars that shone in the universe about 13.5 billion years ago.
"The most exciting prospect for this telescope is the idea that it can raise questions that we haven't even thought of yet," said Dr Amber Nicole Straughn, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and deputy for the project.
