Spacewatch: James Webb telescope finally ready for launch

Successor to Hubble has been hit by delays and a ballooning budget since work began on it in 1996

Nasa has completed the final tests of the James Webb space telescope and is now preparing it for transportation to the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.

Webb is Nasa's successor to the ageing Hubble space telescope. Work on it began way back in 1996. Back then, it was called the Next Generation space telescope. It was forecast to cost $500m (363m) and was set for launch in 2007.