The launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, decades in the making and billions of dollars over budget, has been delayed by several more days.

A problem with communications prompted NASA to delay the launch date of the telescope, which will succeed the Hubble Telescope, from Dec. 22 to Christmas Eve.

NASA SPACECRAFT TOUCHES SURFACE OF THE SUN

"The James Webb Space Telescope team is working a communication issue between the observatory and the launch vehicle system," the agency said Tuesday. "This will delay the launch date to no earlier than Friday, Dec. 24. We will provide more information about the new launch date no later than Friday, Dec. 17."

NASA Space Telescope
In this April 13, 2017 photo provided by NASA, technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. (Laura Betz/NASA via AP, File)


CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The telescope was supposed to begin operating in 2007, and the most recent delay was when NASA moved the launch from Dec. 18 to Dec. 22. Development on the project began in 1996 and had a budget of $500 million, which has increased to $9.7 billion in 2021.

When operational, scientists hope the telescope will provide higher quality images of the universe than currently possible with Hubble.