E-mailed exchanges show the space agency’s internal struggle to address pleas to change the controversial name of its latest, greatest observatory
Sadness. Disappointment. Frustration. Anger. These are some of the reactions from LGBTQ+ astronomers over the latest revelations regarding NASA’s decision not to rename the James Webb Space Telescope , given that the agency long had evidence suggesting its Apollo-era administrator James Webb was involved the persecution of gay and lesbian federal employees during the 1950s and 1960s.
As the successor to the renowned Hubble Space Telescope, JWST’s name is likely to one day be known by schoolchildren, suburban parents and senior citizens alike, which is why LGBTQ+ astronomers feel so strongly that the observatory’s namesake should not be someone who was allegedly involved in homophobic directives.
Originally known as the Next Generation Space Telescope, JWST was rechristened for Webb in 2002, a decision undertaken by Sean O’Keefe, NASA’s administrator at the time. Little was known then about Webb’s role in a period of mid-20th-century American history known as the Lavender Scare—a McCarthy-like witch hunt in which many gay and lesbian federal employees were seen as national security risks and subsequently surveilled, harassed and fired.
Prior to Nelson’s statement, the redacted author of the September 3, 2021, e-mail strongly recommended changing the telescope’s name. “That Webb played a leadership position in the Lavender Scare is undeniable,” they wrote. The ad hoc nature of NASA’s response to this controversy highlights the fact that federal agencies rarely follow clear-cut methods for naming or renaming high-profile projects. Such decisions often appear to be taken at the whim of senior officials, with little regard for larger input from other stakeholders, including the public at large.
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