The name of NASA's most powerful telescope is still controversial one month before its launch
CNN
The telescope is named for James Webb, who oversaw NASA's moon landing program. But to some astronomers, Webb is also known for working in the State Department during the "Lavender Scare," when gay employees faced discrimination.
A former NASA official named the telescope for James Webb, NASA's second-ever administrator who oversaw the moon landing program that would grow the agency into a major scientific force. NASA says Webb "did more for science than perhaps any other government official."
But to astronomers who have criticized the naming decision, Webb is also known for holding a high-level position in the State Department during the "Lavender Scare" of the 1950s, during which LGBTQ federal employees were identified and fired or forced to resign.
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