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Bill Nelson says there is “no evidence” to justify renaming the James Webb Space Telescope.
Stuck with Webb
NASA has announced that it will not change the name of the James Webb Space Telescope despite criticism from the public, astronomers and even NASA employees.
The orbital observatory, which is set to revolutionize astronomy by allowing scientists to see further into space in greater detail than ever before, has come under fire this year due to the fanatic story of its namesake, the former administrator from NASA James Webb. The agency concluded that Webb, who allowed NASA security to interview employees for their homosexuality, still deserved the honor – leaving critics unhappy.
“We have not found any evidence at this time to justify changing the name of the James Webb Space Telescope,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. NPR.
Questionable investigation
NASA said NPR that he investigated Webb’s background, but shared very few details about what the investigation involved.
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 critics, many of whom are astronomers or work in a related field, have signed a petition demanding a name change.
“At best, Webb’s case is complicated,” said Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, cosmologist and petitions organizer at the University of New Hampshire. NPR. “And at worst, we’re just sending this amazing instrument into the sky with the name of a homophobe, in my opinion.”
Break the precedents
The decision isn’t that shocking – the James Webb has been in development for ages, and a lot of work has gone into developing a project that, despite a 14-year delay, is finally slated to launch in December. So, NASA management probably doesn’t want to lose the fleeting sense of the project’s momentum.
Nonetheless, NASA has been receptive in recent years to requests to change some of its names for various space objects, such as how NASA renamed an asteroid “Arrokoth” in 2019 after learning that its original name, ” Ultima Thule ”, had Nazi overtones. The following year, the space agency also pledged to stop using racist names for various objects in space – but apparently that vow doesn’t quite extend to naming things after real homophobes.
READ MORE: In the shadow of controversy, NASA will not rename the new space telescope [NPR]
Learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope: James Webb hated gay people. Why do we give its name to a telescope?
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