Launch is expected in December.
NASA has no plans to rename its new $10 billion technological marvel, the James Webb Space Telescope, despite concerns about it being named after a former NASA administrator who was complicit with government discrimination against gay and lesbian employees in the 1950s and 1960s. James Webb, a significant figure in the space industry, was NASA’s second administrator and led the agency through the period that included the Apollo moon program.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the agency has investigated the matter and decided to keep the telescope’s name as is. “We have found no evidence at this time that warrants changing the name of the James Webb Space Telescope,” he said.
The powerful telescope, viewed by many as the successor to Hubble and set to launch in December, will be able to see light from the earliest galaxies in the universe and analyze the atmospheres of planets orbiting distant stars, searching for gases in the air that might indicate the presence of life.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the officials and scientists at NASA as they make the final preparations for the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.
- For Administrator Nelson as he oversees the NASA program and considers the historical significance of names.
Sources: The Hill, NPR, NASA
