NASA space telescope launch delayed after jolt

A planned launch of a NASA telescope has been delayed after an accident that could have caused damage.

The European Space Agency (ESA) told The Associated Press that the telescope, which is supposed to replace the Hubble Space Telescope observatory, was jolted after a clamp band was suddenly loosened. The telescope is now being checked for possible damage.

“A NASA-led anomaly review board was immediately convened to investigate and instituted additional testing to determine with certainty [that] the incident did not damage any components,” the ESA said, according to the AP. “NASA and its mission partners will provide an update when the testing is completed at the end of this week.”

While the telescope was originally set to launch on Dec. 18, it is now expected to launch no sooner than Dec. 22, the AP reported.

The Hubble Space Telescope experienced technical issues over the summer, stalling views due to a computer malfunction. It went back online in July after NASA introduced backup equipment, including a payload computer.