The James Webb Space Telescope will not be renamed after an investigation

The name of the James Webb Space Telescope will not be changed following a NASA investigation into alleged wrongdoing by the former administrator after whom the $10 billion space observatory is named.

James Webb was a senior official at the State Department and later at NASA when LGBTQI+ employees were being expelled and laid off from the workforce, but the space agency said its investigation found Webb was not involved in the actions.

A team examined thousands of documents and other correspondence from the period in American history dubbed the “Lavender Scare” — the expulsion of homosexuals from the federal workforce that began in the 1940s and lasted for decades.

“For decades, discrimination against LGBTQI+ federal employees was not only tolerated but shamefully encouraged by federal policy. The Lavender Scare that took place after World War II is a painful part of America’s history and the fight for LGBTQI+ rights,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “After an exhaustive search of US government archives and the Truman Library, NASA’s historical investigation concluded, ‘To date, no available evidence directly links Webb to any action or follow-up related to the firing of individuals because of their sexual orientation.’ , as stated on page four of the report.”

The investigation was not launched until 2021, despite years of calls from astronomers and other scientists to remove the former NASA administrator’s name from the telescope.

One historian said he examined two cases linking James Webb to cases, but found no evidence that the government official at the time took any action in the firings.

NASA admits the time was a dark chapter in the history of the government and space agency, but so far nothing has progressed to the level to force the telescope’s name change and hopes that by releasing the report they will help the Efforts to combat exclusivity will strengthen.

“NASA’s core values ​​of equality and inclusivity are partly what make this agency great, and we remain committed to living those values ​​throughout the workplace,” said Nelson.

NASA CR O’Dell (Rice University)

NASA

NASA

The telescope has been in space for almost a year and has already returned stunning images, far exceeding the image quality of the Hubble and other older telescopes.

The space agency believes the James Webb Space Telescope’s operations have exceeded expectations and the space observatory could easily exceed its expected 10-year lifespan.