Despite criticism from the public, astronomers, and even NASA employees, NASA has announced that it will not change the name of the James Webb Space Telescope.
The name honors NASA's second administrator, who led the agency from 1961 to 1968 as it worked to land humans on the moon. Critics of Webb argue that he was involved in discrimination against gay and lesbian NASA employees throughout his tenure, citing cases such as Clifford Norton's termination for "immoral conduct" in 1963.
Some of the critics started an online petition asking NASA to rename the nearly $10 billion telescope, which is set to launch on Dec. 18. The petition lays out the case against Webb, which dates back to his pre-NASA days, according to its authors.
The agency decided that Webb, who authorized NASA security to question personnel about their sexual orientation, is still deserving of the award, despite criticism from critics.
"We have found no evidence at this time that warrants changing the name of the James Webb Space Telescope," NASA administrator Bill Nelson told NPR.
NPR reported that NASA conducted an investigation into Webb's track record, but provided few specifics about the investigation.
Prior to becoming NASA's administrator, Webb was the Undersecretary of State during the 'Lavender Scare,' a purge of LGBT people from government employment.
Webb was definitely involved in high-level discussions about the policy's development and subsequent actions, based on archival evidence, the petition states.
"As we have noted previously, Webb's legacy of leadership is complicated at best, and at worst, complicit with persecution."
The petition's authors argue that putting Webb's name on such a high-profile mission as the successor to NASA's renowned Hubble Space Telescope sends a disturbing message about the agency's commitment to inclusion and diversity.
The petition has over 1,200 signatures as of Thursday evening (Sept. 30), the majority of which came from professional astronomers or astronomy students.
The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to observe the cosmos in infrared light and has a primary mirror that is roughly three times the size of Hubble's.
The observatory will journey to Earth-sun Lagrange Point 2, a gravitationally stable spot approximately 930,000 miles from its home planet, after its launch in mid-December atop an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.
