This mission is scheduled to lift off at 7:20 a.m. EST (12:20 UTC), Dec. 25, 2021, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

  • Sushi_Desires
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    This might be one of the last good things america ever does

    edit: lmao some NASA administrator guy named Bill Nelson with Adrenochrome face just did a religious screed quoting bible verses and shit on the stream

    • happybadger [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      I'm excited, but part of me also wishes that it hit a SpaceX satellite. We could have had a nerd civil war.

  • Sushi_Desires
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    3 years ago

    Wow, this rocket seemed to have a much higher thrust to mass ratio than most launches I've seen. Like as soon as the engines ignited it was like "zoop, see ya!"

    • happybadger [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      That was also really impressive. I'm used to being confused for like 15 seconds about whether I'm watching it launch or malfunction.

  • Sushi_Desires
    ·
    3 years ago

    There she goes on her way - pics from the upper stage camera:

    https://i.imgur.com/3G3ix7D.png - sick pic

    https://i.imgur.com/XO8Cx2U.png - solar panels unfurling

    https://i.imgur.com/toMqUo0.png - catching the sun's rays ☀️ 😎

  • cosecantphi [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Alright, the telescope is on its own now. The next couple weeks are the real suspenseful part.

  • cosecantphi [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    The animation they use to visualize the rocket's flight looks a lot like KSP with a bunch of realism mods

      • cosecantphi [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        That has caught me off guard so many times causing me to either over/under cook my circularization burn. Now I always make sure to set the camera to free before launching.

  • cosecantphi [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Kind of disappointed there wasn't one final literally last second delay, would have been perfect given the history of this telescope. I'll settle for a successful launch instead, though!

    • happybadger [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      3 years ago

      I'm surprised it could launch with so many clouds. It seems like most have great atmospheric conditions and those were low enough to be storm clouds.

    • happybadger [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      edit-2
      3 years ago

      Anddddd immediately into the clouds where we can't see shit. Welp.

  • ssjmarx [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Merry Christmas to all space fans! This thing has been in development longer than Cyberpunk!

  • Awoo [she/her]
    ·
    edit-2
    3 years ago

    Europe has a spaceport? TIL

    Of course it's not in Europe.

      • ToastGhost [he/him]
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        edit-2
        3 years ago

        also need an eastern coast or vast unpopulated area to the east, europe has neither