Ariane 5 fairing cleared for Webb launch after “perfect” performance on last flight

The payload fairing on the most recent Ariane 5 launch last month worked perfectly, according to the European Space Agency, helping clear concerns about the shroud before liftoff of the James Webb Space Telescope on the next Ariane 5 flight in December. The nose cone structure, built by the Swiss company RUAG Space, is designed to protect sensitive satellites during their time on the launch pad before liftoff, and during the first few minutes of ascent through the atmosphere. Once in space, the rocket jettisons the no-longer-needed fairing in two pieces, like the halves of a clamshell. More

(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 8)