UNC alumnus becomes NASA telescope namesake

In the spring of 1928, James Webb had just finished his senior year at UNC, earning a degree in education, but Webb never became a teacher.

Instead, he went on to become the second administrator of NASA, leading from behind the scenes and allowing others to get the glory.

“When he was a NASA administrator, he was happy to have the astronauts and others in the limelight,” said Jim Webb Jr., his son, in an email. “As a result, many in the public have little awareness of the skillful management he performed in the background that kept the massive Apollo project on track.”

In honor of all his contributions to the Apollo missions, he will be the namesake of the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope. In 2018, NASA will use a rocket provided by the European Space Agency to launch the James Webb Space Telescope nearly 1.5 million km from Earth.

“He had a very pivotal role very early in NASA’s life,” said Rachel Osten, the deputy project scientist for the telescope. “He is the administrator who is credited with making sure the missions to the moon were a success.”

She said the telescope’s main feature is its new foldable mirrors made out of 18-segmented pieces of beryllium. Osten said that this helps get JWST to its final destination.

“Everything has to be packed up into a very tight space,” she said.

Once in space, the mirrors will see mostly in the infrared section of the light spectrum instead of the visible section, like Hubble.

According to NASA, this is important because many of the stars and planets that the JWST will be observing are behind clouds of dust that absorb visible light.

Currently, the telescope is on schedule, and Osten said about 95 percent of all the pieces have been made for JWST.

When the JWST is completed, it will stand to be an unprecedented tool in the scientific community, said Jason Kalirai, a project scientist, during a presentation at the National Academy of Scientists.

“It is going to be the most powerful telescope we have launched into space,” he said.

Jim Webb Jr. said he believes his father would have been honored that this powerful telescope is named after him.

“If attaching his name to the new telescope has the effect of shining a light on skilled managers that work in the background, I’m sure he would find that a gratifying legacy,” he said in an email.

Among all of his accomplishments and having a telescope named after him, James Webb was also a Tar Heel.

“My father was not one to break out into spontaneous song frequently,” Jim Webb Jr. said. “But I can remember him singing, ‘I’m a Tar Heel born, I’m a Tar Heel bred, and when I die, I’m a Tar Heel dead’ on a number of occasions.”

university@dailytarheel.com