Northrop Grumman Foundation Gives a Unique Look at NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

True to its mission of helping to advance STEM education in dynamic ways, the Northrop Grumman Foundation, a major sponsor of the USA Science & Engineering Festival, will take visitors up close and personal this April with one of the most ambitious projects today in space science: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

At Festival Expo 2014, get ready for fascinating updates on this endeavor from two Northrop Grumman leaders who are ushering in the Webb Telescope — the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The Webb Telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Northrop Grumman is under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., for the design and development of the Webb Telescope's optics, sunshield and spacecraft. Webb is scheduled for a 2018 launch date when it will help scientists accomplish lofty goals in space science, including observing the most distant objects in the universe, providing images of the first galaxies formed, and seeing unexplored planets around distant stars.

Shedding light at the Expo on this amazing undertaking will be Scott Willoughby, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems vice president and James Webb Space Telescope program manager, and Blake Bullock, Civil Air and Space director for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Business and Advanced Systems Development.

Scott, who oversees the entire Webb program for Northrop Grumman, is an aerospace engineer who holds a bachelor's in electrical engineering and a master's in communication systems. Blake, who holds a bachelor's degree in astrophysics and a master's in astronomy, is responsible for supporting scientific and technical advocacy for astronomy and astrophysics for the Webb project.

They will be featured speakers providing fascinating details on the James Webb Space Telescope project at the Festival's X-STEM Symposium on April 24 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center − an event presented by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and MedImmune. Scott will focus on the engineering behind building the telescope, and specifically the focus for the year: manufacturing the spacecraft, while Blake will discuss the science that Webb will enable.

The Festival thanks the Northrop Grumman Foundation and our other valued sponsors and partners for their participation in helping to inspire the next generation of innovators.