The James Webb Space Telescope nears launch after a review of its Ariane launch vehicle. Meanwhile, NASA is continuing a review of its historical records that may incriminate former agency administrator James Edwin Webb in cases of homophobic discrimination.
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced on July 1 that it has successfully completed, in collaboration with Arianespace, the final mission analysis review for the launch of the James Webb Telescope on Ariane 5. “All technical assessments performed by Arianespace on key aspects of the mission, including launch trajectory and payload separation, have shown positive results” , the agency said in a statement.
Ariane 5 will offer few changes compared to versions used on other missions, such as commercial satellite launches. Modifications are largely limited to the fairing with the addition of acoustic protection aimed at reducing loads on the satellite during launch, as well as a new separation system aimed at limiting vibrations during observatory release in space.
On the telescope side, NASA is preparing to ship it to French Guiana (probably in August) in preparation for its launch. If from a technical point of view everything seems to be going "more or less" as planned, the agency is now looking into another problem:that of its name.
Formerly known as the Next Generation Space Telescope, the observatory was named the James Webb Telescope in 2002 in honor of James Edwin Webb, the second NASA administrator ( from February 14, 1961 to October 7, 1968). The latter is particularly known for having played an essential role in the development of the Apollo program before his departure from NASA.
However, it would seem that Webb, while he was at NASA, and earlier at the State Department, supported discrimination against LGBTQ people, who suffered a significant wave of persecution during the 1950s in the United States. This includes a case, cited in a recent online petition, of a NASA employee being fired for being gay in 1963, when Webb was an administrator, Spacenews points out. .
“As a member of management, Webb was responsible for the policies enacted under his leadership, including the homophobic policies that were in place when he became a director from NASA" , written in particular Scientific American . “Some argue that if Webb was complicit, then everyone in the administration of the agency at the time was too. We agree. But NASA isn't launching a telescope named after its entire administration." .
“Many astronomers feel a debt of gratitude for Webb's work as NASA administrator and are grateful and nostalgic for the period during which the program Apollo prospered” , continues the newspaper. “But while appreciation and nostalgia are important, they are not enough. Webb may have played a positive role at NASA, but his larger legacy beyond the agency is also relevant." .
NASA historians are currently conducting a review of historical documents to substantiate or not these claims. If this is the case, the American agency could therefore be led to rename its telescope.
For the time being, no deadline has been communicated on this side. Limited access to certain historical archives due to pandemic-related closures would indeed have slowed down this assessment. The recent change of direction at the head of the space agency has also delayed discussions. For his part Paul Hertz, director of NASA's astrophysics division, assured that the decision to rename JWST would be made "at the highest levels of the agency" given the high visibility of the mission.
The fact remains that, renamed or not, the telescope will be able to be launched soon. While an official "launch readiness date" is still set for next October 31, the Ariane 5 rocket's upcoming launch schedule suggests the JWT won't launch until the second half of November.
