TRW to build next space telescope

TRW Inc. announced Sept. 10 that it won a contract to build the James Webb Space Telescope, which will replace the Hubble Space Telescope. The contract value announced by NASA is $824.8 million.

Cleveland-based TRW will lead development of the observatory and build and integrate the spacecraft, which has been named in honor of NASA's second administrator.


This next-generation space telescope will peer into the infrared at great distances to see the first stars and galaxies formed in the universe billions of years ago. A component of NASA's Origins Program, the James Webb Space Telescope will search for answers to astronomers' fundamental questions about the birth and evolution of galaxies, the size and shape of the universe and the mysterious life cycle of matter.


"TRW is proud to be NASA's selection for this important mission to expand mankind's vision and understanding of the universe," said Tim Hannemann, president and chief executive officer of TRW Space & Electronics. "We are also pleased to extend our legacy of partnership with NASA on complex space science and remote sensing missions."



TRW's team includes Ball Aerospace and Eastman Kodak. The James Webb Space Telescope program is led by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and consists of an international team involving NASA, the European Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, industry and academia.