The infrared James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is ready to launch in November 2021. However, the NASA telescope is under heavy scrutiny due to anti-LGBT allegations against the former NASA administrator. Here’s what we know so far.
All about the NASA telescope
NASA’s new infrared telescope is to be the successor of the historic Hubble telescope. It can find some of the first galaxies formed at the beginning of the universe. Additionally, the telescope can help astronomers peer through the dusty clouds and see how stars form planetary systems. The JWST will be the largest telescope to be ever placed in space. Also, it is 100 times greater in power than its predecessor.
Moreover, its large size has led to the need to fold it like origami. The telescope will unfold like a transformer once launched into space. Additionally, the $8.8 billion telescopes will orbit the sun. Hence, it contains sun shields that can tolerate extreme temperatures. The telescope is highly sensitive. So sensitive that it can see details that are the size of a penny from 24 miles away! This coming-of-age technology will be the premier observatory in the coming years.
More on James Webb
However, before NASA launches this powerful tool, it has a crucial decision to make- to rename the telescope or not.
Why?
Well, the question is due to the multitude of allegations against James Webb, the former government-appointed NASA administrator. Webb, accused of persecuting LGBT+ people during his time at the agency raises concerns. The petition to change the name by four prominent astronomers — Sarah Tuttle, Brian Nord, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, and Lucianne Walkowicz.
“It is very unfortunate. NASA’s current plan is to launch this incredible instrument into space carrying the name of a man whose legacy at best is complicated and at worst reflects complicity in homophobic discrimination in the federal government,” reported their article in Scientific American. Webb is accused of purging LGBT individuals from the NASA workforce between 1961 and 1968. The fiasco is a forerunner to the lavender scare, an antigay witch hunt.
“For me, it really comes down to what kind of message we want to send to the more junior folks and students in our field. The people we choose to celebrate by naming our telescopes after them is a reflection of our values,” said Peter Gao. Gao is a planetary scientist at the University of California in Santa Cruz. According to a Nature article, NASA does not have a replacement name in mind. Moreover, Bill Nelson, the current NASA administrator has not made a public comment on the issue.