JWST History: 2002

Selecting the Partners

Early in the year the NGST Project started the process to move from Phase A (detailed feasibility studies) to Phase B (definition studies). A Mission Definition Review was held with an internal Goddard and an external review team. In response to the reviews, more project responsibilities were transfered from NASA/Goddard to the Prime Contractor. Selection of the Prime Contractor was made at the end of summer 2002.

January

NASA announced that it selected the micro-electromechanical micro-shutter technology for further development and use in the Next Generation Space Telescope near-infrared spectrometer (NIRSpec). (Press Release)

June

NASA selects a team led by Dr. Marcia Rieke of the University of Arizona to build the NGST Near-IR Camera (NIRCAM). It further announced the US portion of the science team to guide Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) developments, led by Dr. George Rieke, and the Interdisciplinary Scientist members of the Science Working Group. (Press Release)

September

NASA TRW as the prime contractor to design and fabricate the prime mirror and spacecrselectsaft, and to do integration and pre-flight testing. At the same time, NASA renamed the Next Generation Space Telescope the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in honor of NASA's second administrator. James E. Webb lead the agency into the Apollo missions. (Press Release)