Nasa has launched the James Webb Space Telescope, which the US space agency hopes will unlock the secrets of the early universe.
The launch was scheduled for 12.20pm GMT (7.20am EST) on Christmas Day, with a live stream available on Nasa’s website shortly before lift-off.
All sorts of last-minute issues could have hampered the launch of the $10 billion observatory, which was previously pushed back from 24 December due to poor weather conditions at the launch site in French Guinea. However the launch went incredibly smoothly, with not only the lift-off but also the rocket separation going ahead without fault.
“What an incredible Christmas present”, said Garth Illingworth, an astronomer at the University of California.
Nasa administrator Bill Nelson had warned ahead of the launch that “over 300 things” could go wrong and scupper the launch, with officials saying during a news conference this week that there was an intermittent communication delay between the rocket and telescope.
Rob Navias, a NASA commentator, said on the agency’s live stream that the James Webb Telescope had had a “perfect ride to orbit”.
Once in space, the James Webb telescope will attempt to look back in time 13.7 billion years towards stars and galaxies formed during the early stages of the universe’s creation.
You can follow all the latest news and updates from the launch right here.
