At Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, the finishing touches to the Ariane 5 fairing for the James Webb Space Telescope include the application of NASA, ESA and Canadian Space Agency logos and Webb insignia.

Webb will soon be encapsulated inside this 17 m-high 5.4 m-diameter fairing which will provide protection from the thermal, acoustic and aerodynamic stresses during the ascent to space.

Ariane 5’s fairing has been customised to accommodate the specific requirements of the Webb mission. New hardware ensures that venting ports around the base of the fairing remain fully open. This will minimise the shock of depressurisation when the fairing jettisons away from the launch vehicle.

Webb will be the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space. Its sunshield – a five-layer, diamond-shaped structure the size of a tennis court – was specially engineered to fold up and fit within the confines of Ariane 5’s fairing. Fully deployed, the telescope’s sunshield measures 21 m by 14 m. Stowed inside Ariane’s fairing, Webb will measure 10.66 m high and 4.5 m wide.

As part of an international collaboration agreement, ESA is providing the telescope’s launch service using the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. Working with partners, ESA was responsible for the development and qualification of Ariane 5 adaptations for the Webb mission and for the procurement of the launch service by Arianespace.

Webb is an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Find out more about Webb in ESA’s launch kit and how Ariane 5 has been specially adapted for this mission.