Nasa's James Webb space telescope passes launch simulation tests

Environmental tests exposed spacecraft to vibrations and noise it will face during ascent

The James Webb space telescope has successfully completed a series of tests to simulate the harsh conditions it will experience during launch. Known as environmental tests, they subjected the spacecraft to the noise and the vibrations associated with being blasted into orbit. JWST received 140 decibels of sound and was shaken in ways that will happen naturally during its ascent.

During a previous set of environmental tests in 2018, before the instruments had been secured to the spacecraft, a number of screws and washers came loose and fell off the sunshield cover. This set back the schedule. The spacecraft has been subject to many delays during more than 20 years of development. It is now scheduled to be launched on 31 October 2021 on an Ariane 5 rocket supplied by the European Space Agency.