James Webb Space Telescope reaches launch pad for Christmas liftoff

Image 1 of 3 An Ariane 5 rocket carrying the James Webb Space Telescope rolled out to the launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 23, 2021. (Image credit: Bill Ingalls/NASA) Image 2 of 3 An Ariane 5 rocket carrying the James Webb Space Telescope rolled out to the launch pad at Kourou, French … Read more

SpaceX Dragon cargo ship delivers Christmas presents (and supplies) to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station early Wednesday (Dec. 22), carrying with it a holiday haul of science gear and Christmas treats for the astronauts living on the orbital outpost. The autonomous Dragon resupply ship docked itself at the orbital outpost at 3:41 a.m. EST (0841 GMT), … Read more

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launch delayed to Christmas due to weather

NASA’s much-awaited next-generation space telescope is finally ready to launch — just as soon as the weather cooperates. The James Webb Space Telescope, also known as JWST or Webb, has been in the works for decades. During a news conference held on Tuesday (Dec. 21), project officials confirmed that the observatory is ready to launch. … Read more

How to watch NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope launch online in several languages on Christmas Eve

NASA is counting down towards a Christmas Eve launch for its biggest space telescope ever and you can watch it all live online. The James Webb Space Telescope is the successor to NASA and Europe’s iconic Hubble Space Telescope. The next-generation capabilities of the upcoming observatory, paired with the laundry list of mission delays over … Read more

Omicron: England must act before Christmas to limit hospitalisations and deaths

By Michael Le Page and Graham Lawton People queue for vaccinations at St Thomas’ Hospital in London Dan Kitwood/Getty Images The world is facing a surge in hospitalisations and deaths from the omicron variant of the coronavirus that could be as bad as in previous waves, even if omicron is only a third as severe … Read more

Tweaks to U.S. Christmas Trees Could Help Them Survive Climate Change

Mounting pressure from extreme weather events and lethal diseases—both exacerbated by climate change—threatens to assail U.S. Christmas tree–growing regions and slash production. To help defend these cherished trees and the farms that raise them, researchers are mapping conifer genomes and exploiting the natural characteristics of species that grow outside the U.S. to identify and breed … Read more

The Log4J Software Flaw Is ‘Christmas Come Early’ for Cybercriminals

Researchers have just identified a security flaw in a software program called Log4J, widely used by a host of private, commercial and government entities to record details ranging from usernames and passwords to credit card transactions. Since the glitch was found last weekend, the cybersecurity community has been scrambling to protect applications, services, infrastructure and … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope Launch Delayed to Christmas Eve–or Later

A communications glitch between the observatory and its launch vehicle forced the delay, NASA officials say Technicians work to secure the James Webb Space Telescope atop the Ariane 5 rocket that will launch it to space from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Credit: Manuel Pedoussaut/ESA Advertisement The launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope … Read more