The July 22 episode of the Houston Breakdown gets into the Johnson Space Center’s involvement with the development and testing of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s newest partnerships with various Houston companies and organizations and more news from across the metro.

Johnson Space Center prepared James Webb Space Telescope for deep space

Soon after the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit in 1990, NASA began developing initial testing concepts for the Next Generation Space Telescope, later renamed the James Webb Space Telescope.

Testing and development for the space telescope happened at different stages in different space centers, but in 2017, JWST arrived at the Johnson Space Center to undergo its last cryogenic test before its originally planned launch in 2018.

After delays, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021 with the goal of uncovering the mysteries of the early universe. Flash forward to today, JWST has already captured the sharpest infrared images of deep space to date, showcasing galaxy clusters, exoplanets, stellar life cycles and more.

Jonathan Homan, chief of the Systems Test Branch at the Johnson Space Center, details his involvement with the James Webb Space Telescope since 1999 and Houston’s part in creating the most powerful scientific instrument in space exploration history.

Also on this episode...

Harris County commissioners begin community engagement for a potential $1.2 billion bond issue in November; a $550 million project plans to widen the Katy Freeway; the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announces changes to its 2023 Rodeo Houston Competition and more.