Model Finds Home in Kids' Museum

Northrop Grumman has handed over ownership of a full scale model of the NASA James Webb Space Telescope, granting it to the Space Foundation for display in their museum in Colorado.

The model once graced skylines across the country for a time, garnering interest as it displayed the unusual multi-sail protective sheeting and convex lens. The model helped to raise awareness of the next-gen telescope program, but now it can head on to rest at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs. 

Northrop Grumman notes that it "led the design, development, observatory integration and prepared the observatory for launch" while the James Webb Space Telescope was still in its early stages. Today, they continue to support the NASA program and maintain the telescope for years to come, allowing Webb to "solve the mysteries of the solar system"... or as most passively disinterested civilians would say, take cool pictures for desktop backgrounds around the world. The model's presence will be great for the Discovery Center, a hands-on, interactive education hub geared towards creating future explorers, engineers, and enthusiasts.

"From New York to Paris, this life-size replica of the Webb Telescope inspired communities around the world and, in doing so, invited friends and families to explore the cosmos together to better understand the origins of the universe," said Chris Adams, vice president and general manager, strategic space systems, Northrop Grumman. "Today, we mark a new chapter for the replica's new home so it may continue to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers."

FMI: www.northropgrumman.com