FREE Physics Lecture * 5:30 Wed * Mar 16 * Wheeler Opera House

Garth Illingworth, University of California Santa Cruz
“JWST Comes to Life!”

The James Webb Space Telescope is an astronomy mission that exceeds all others in capability. JWST cost more than any other astronomy mission at launch, approached only by Hubble, and is far more complex than any other space science mission. Its flawless launch and deployments are a testament to the engineering and management commitment of thousands of people in the US and in our partner nations, the European ESA and Canadian CSA. Yet there is a further dimension to a mission like JWST — and that is the crucial support of our policy and decision makers and those of our partners. I will give a broad overview of the multi-faceted challenges that JWST faced, and overcame.