posted 05-08-2007 05:31 PM               

quote:

---

Full-Scale Model of the James Webb Space Telescope to be Displayed On the National Mall, May 10-12

Northrop Grumman Corporation is displaying a full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope on the National Mall in conjunction with Public Service Recognition Week from May 10 to May 12. The model will be on the Mall near the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

The public is invited to view the full-scale, tennis-court sized model, talk to scientists about the next generation space telescope, learn about its mission, and build subscale Webb Telescope models using LEGO® blocks.

The Webb Telescope, designed to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope, will be NASA's premier space observatory following its launch in 2013. It will travel almost a million miles from Earth into deep space to peer some 13 billion years back in time, capturing infrared images of every phase of our cosmic history -- from the first luminous objects to the birth of stars, assembly of galaxies and formation of planetary systems.

The Webb Telescope is currently being built by Northrop Grumman and its teammates under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The team, including Ball Aerospace, ITT Industries and ATK, is using cutting-edge design, manufacturing and optical technologies to construct the first deployable telescope ever to go into space. It features an ultra-light weight 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror and a unique, five-layer sunshield for passive thermal control.

Public Service Recognition Week is being sponsored by the Council for Excellence in Government and will feature more than 100 federal and civilian displays and programs on the National Mall. This event honors the men and women who serve America as federal, state and local government employees.

---

posted 05-09-2007 12:03 PM               

quote:

---

NASA Exhibits Celebrate Public Service Recognition Week

NASA will display a full scale model of the agency's next generation space telescope and host exhibits that showcase the many faces of NASA during Public Service Recognition Week. NASA's exhibits are free and open to visitors of all ages May 10-11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT and May 12 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibits will be on the National Mall between 7th and 4th streets, NW. The agency also will provide opportunities to speak with experts.

One of the exhibit's biggest attractions will be the model of the James Webb Space Telescope. The model, approximately 80 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet tall, will give visitors a better understanding of the size, scale and complexity of this orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope is targeted for launch in 2013 and is built by Northrop Grumman, Los Angeles.

On Thursday, May 10 at 10 a.m., NASA will join Northrop Grumman at the display for a news conference that will explore the telescope's cutting-edge capabilities.

In addition to the telescope, NASA will be exhibiting an array of out-of-this-world technology and space exploration assets.

At NASA's tent, visitors can learn about the NASA Balloon Program, the International Space Station, and the Cassini Mission to Saturn. They also will see the Mars Exploration Rovers and giant inflatable models of the space shuttle, the Orion crew exploration vehicle, and the Ares I rocket. Orion is the next generation human spacecraft, and the Ares I is the launch vehicle that will lift future astronauts into space.

Visitors can see how Earth looks from space on a "Magic Planet" where satellite data is projected on a sphere. They can experience Astro Camp, featuring a moon phaser and a lunar landing, and kids can go on a NASA scavenger hunt. Young and old alike can discover how NASA is pioneering new flight technologies, developing state-of-the art technologies and exploring the Earth, moon, Mars and beyond.

The NASA "Vision for Space Exploration Experience," an interactive traveling exhibit, will allow visitors to slip the confines of our planet. Holographic and 3-D imagery shows "explorers" what it might be like to visit various destinations in space. Visitors can manipulate their environment and explore simulated lunar and Martian landscapes as well as travel to one of Saturn's moons.

Thursday through Saturday, NASA will hold 15-minute "Story Time" for kids. Thursday Story Time runs from 11 a.m. to noon, and topics include: "The Air We Breathe," "National Security," and "Weather." On both Friday and Saturday, Story Time runs from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and features "Can You Hear Me Now?" "Weeding the Nation's Garden," "Sandbox in the Air," "NASA Fights Fires," "Earth's Frozen Assets," "Natural Disasters," and "Finding Ebola With Satellites."

NASA's Super Cell Rock Band will give free concerts on Friday from 3:00- 3:40 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 12:00-12:40 p.m. A group of singers from NASA's Astrophysics division also will perform.

NASA joins 100 federal civilian and military agencies and programs for the weeklong celebration of excellence in public service.

---