James Webb telescope model finds new home in Springs
(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Monday, April 8, Northrop Grumman announced that the company is gifting the James Webb Space Telescope full-scale model to the Space Foundation, where it will be permanently displayed at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs.
The full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope traveled the world for more than a decade before the actual telescope was launched on December 25, 2021. The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s foremost space science observatory. Northrop Grumman said the telescope is solving mysteries in our solar system, observing distant worlds around other stars, and investigating the enigmatic structures and origins of the universe, shedding light on our place in it.
Like the telescope, the full-scale model is the length of a tennis court and close to 3 stories tall. It was created to educate viewers about the groundbreaking engineering and historic mission of the real telescope.
“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,” said Chris Adams, vice president and General Manager of Strategic Space Systems, Northrop Grumman.
The model’s new home, the Space Foundation Discovery Center at 4425 Arrowswest Drive, is a hands-on learning space focused on interactive education about space and science and seeks to inspire the next generation of explorers and innovators. Currently, the Discovery Center is closed until Spring for renovations.
Northrop Grumman did not specify a date when the model would be ready to view at the Discovery Center.
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