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No; Webb was contracted to Ariane 5 when that was still a new rocket (a still unproven and problematic one), because there was a diplomatic cost-sharing comprom
by perihelions 2y ago
No; Webb was contracted to Ariane 5 when that was still a new rocket (a still unproven and problematic one), because there was a diplomatic cost-sharing compromise that ESA contribute and pay for Webb's launch vehicle.
Ariane 5 has a track record of reliability, but the decision to put Webb on top of it was made long before it developed that track record. It wasn't a consequence of it.