Scientists are targeting a launch no earlier than Dec. 24 for the much-delayed successor to Hubble, the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope arrived at Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in October, a significant hurdle on its long journey to launch. Launched in 1990, the Hubble telescope is showing more and more signs of aging, despite a series of repairs and updates by spacewalking astronauts during NASA’s shuttle era. Back in 2003, concerned scientists and a select panel of astronomers met in Washington, D.C., to discuss the future of Hubble and the status of the next round of space telescopes, including James Webb. Back then, the plan then was to launch James Webb in 2011. “I think the hard question is, ‘How long can we keep Hubble going?’ because Hubble is up there and it’s working beautifully, but we know that it’s complex and it wears out with …