NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope team is getting an award! It’s called the Michael Collins Trophy and it’s given out annually by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to recognize amazing achievements in science, technology, and history.
Bob Cabana from NASA said that the efforts put in by James Webb Space Telescope team are very inspiring. He also said that this mission wouldn’t be possible without partners, who represent the absolute best of us all. To recognize their hard work, an award ceremony was held on March 23 at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
The people receiving the 2023 Collins trophy did a lot to help everyone know their place on this planet. The James Webb Telescope was launched in 2021 and it is the largest and strongest telescope ever made. Its mission started in 2022 and it helps us learn more about space by looking at infrared light.
Nicola Fox, an important person from NASA, said that the team working on the James Webb Space Telescope has done a great job. They can now clearly see and explore some of the oldest and most distant galaxies out in space! Images taken by the telescope look amazing and help us learn about our universe.
The Webb telescope is doing much better than its goals required, so it has been able to spot some of the oldest galaxies we’ve seen, study how stars are forming inside dusty clouds, and look more closely at planets that aren’t in our solar system. It can also give us the clearest view of Neptune’s rings in a long time! The Collins Trophy award was given to the whole team who designed and built this telescope, as well as all those who help run it.
Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division for NASA, said that the James Webb Space Telescope is an incredible tool which makes it possible to learn about the very first stars and galaxies formed in the universe. He was given an award called The 2023 Collins Trophy because of all of the hard work from thousands of people who made this space telescope a reality.
Winners of a special award get to take home a trophy that looks like the “Web of Space” sculpture made by John Safer from Washington, D.C. The award was started in 1985 and named after astronaut Michael Collins from Apollo 11 in 2020.
Webb is a very special telescope that was created by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It’s unique because it has the power to explore deep space and uncover answers to some of our solar system’s greatest mysteries. As well as looking around other stars for distant worlds, Webb can also help us better understand about our universe and our place in it.
Recently, lots of organizations have praised the Webb mission. These organizations include the Space Foundation, Science magazine, National Space Club and Foundation, Aviation Week, Bloomberg Businessweek, Popular Science, and TIME.
