James Webb Space Telescope imagery of the NGC 602 young star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Photo Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, P. Zeidler, E. Sabbi, A. Nota, M. Zamani

NASA’s James Webb Telescope has captivated the public with incredible discoveries that include dying stars, distant galaxies, and signs of life on other planets. The telescope launched in December of 2021 after 25 years in development. In this episode, we explore the history of the James Webb project, its journey to space, its breakthrough findings, and potential follow-up programs that could build on its success. 

Via Satellite Executive Editor Jeffrey Hill interviews Scott Willoughby, who served Northrop Grumman’s vice president and program manager for the James Webb Space Telescope, and Dr. Bhanu Sood, deputy chief technologist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Sood has served as NASA’s risk assessment process owner for microelectronics on a number of flagship programs including JWST. 

This episode is part of the Future Space Economy webcast series, sponsored by MDA Space.

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