NASA has confirmed that the James Webb space telescope will be launched on December 24.

The telescope was originally scheduled to be launched into space in the early 2000s.

The new telescope is named after the late James E. Webb, who ran NASA during the 1960s.

The much-delayed launch of the James Webb space telescope will go ahead on December 24, NASA and the company overseeing the launch confirmed on Saturday.

The Webb telescope was built in the US and transported to its launch site in Kourou in French Guyana this year with a planned date of departure of December 18.