Learn about the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest astrophysics mission in NASA's history.

The James Webb Space Telescope launched on December 25, 2021. JWST was designed to see the first galaxies forming shortly after the Big Bang, and has been nicknamed the 'First Light Machine." But its infrared sensitivity allows it to peer into dusty environments, making it the perfect instrument to explore the regions where stars and planets form, and to trace how galaxies have evolved over time.

Dr. Kathryn Flanagan, astronomer emerita at the Space Telescope Science Institute, will introduce us to this marvelous facility and its science discoveries.

Dr. Flanagan holds an astronomer emerita appointment at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), where she has served as JWST mission head, Deputy Director and Interim Director. The Institute is responsible for the science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as the mission and science operations of its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Dr. Flanagan came to the Institute in 2007 to head the Mission Office for JWST, with responsibility for developing the JWST Science and Operations Center. In her early career, she earned her PhD in physics at MIT, where she began working in the field of X-ray astronomy, with special interest in developing new instruments for space. She became part of the research staff at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and MIT, and she has worked on multiple flight instruments.

She has participated in NASA’s advisory structure, co-chairing strategic planning documents and serving on advisory committees. She has been active in astronomical community organizations, and has been honored by election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She has been active in education, beginning with service as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching math and physics in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is a strong advocate for science outreach to the public and the next generation.