The Cosmic Companion VIP Newsletter May 17, 2021 - Scott Lambros and the James Webb Space Telescope

We take a look in at the James Webb Space Telescope as it prepares for launch, and we talk to Scott Lambros, NASA's Instrument Systems Manager for this remarkable instrument.

Hello everyone!

This week on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion, we take an up-close look at what will become the most-advanced telescope ever to launch into space, the James Webb Space Telescope. We welcome Scott Lambros, Instrument Systems Manager for this remarkable instrument, back to the show!

The mighty segmented mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope unfurls for the final time on Earth, in a dress rehearsal for its upcoming launch. Image credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

But first, we look at new evidence for volcanic eruptions on Mars in the surprisingly-recent past. We also head out to the distant void of space as Voyager 1 detects a faint hum which could help us better understand interstellar space. And, we turn our sights to the James Webb Space Telescope as it unfurls its massive mirror for the final time on Earth, before talking with our special guest, who just returned from conducting the tests.

And… Let’s not forget an advance showing of an all-new installment of Max on Mars!