Why NASA is being pressured to change James Webb space telescope's name

The first images from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mesmerised everyone with their beauty and from scientists to celebrities, no one could stop praising the achievement. With the help of its deep infrared cameras, it provided a glimpse at the beauty and vastness of the cosmos and even provided valuable data for scientists to study. However, there is one part which has stoked a controversy among the scientific society and that is the name of next-generation observatory.

James Webb, after whom the observatory was named, was a celebrated NASA administrator and he was well known for heading the Apollo program. Between 1961 and 1968, he worked on a number of significant NASA projects and many hails him for ushering the ‘golden age’ for the agency.

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However, his career was not without its fair share of controversies. During his tenure as the top official in NASA, three Apollo I astronauts lost their lives during a 1967 ground test in Florida.

The other major accusation plaguing his name is Webb’s role in the ‘Lavender Scare’ – a period of time in US history when a number of homosexual people were removed from government positions.

During Webb’s tenure at NASA, a person was fired from his job after he was suspected of being homosexual by his bosses. Earlier, when Webb worked for the US State Department in 1950, reports suggest that around 91 people lost their jobs for similar reasons. While his role is still not clear, a column in Scientific American at the time said that his names appear in Lavender Scare memos.

"The records clearly show that Webb planned and participated in meetings during which he handed over homophobic material," the column read according to a report by CNET.

"There is no record of him choosing to stand up for the humanity of those being persecuted."