NASA and a Northrop Grumman-led industry team that built the James Webb Space Telescope will be presented with the National Space Club and Foundation’s highest award, the 2023 Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy.
The recognition is for the program’s contribution to the advancement of U.S. astronautics after the telescope completed the first-ever deployment of sunshield and mirrors amid complex maneuvers in space, Northrop said.
Webb is also supported by the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency. It is managed by the Goddard Space Flight Center, while science and mission operations and ground station development are led by the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Northrop recently won a sustainment contract to continue its services until June 24, 2027. It is responsible for the sunshield, spacecraft bus, optics and telescope, and other products and services needed in monitoring and maintenance of Webb’s spacecraft systems.