Baltimore, MD--A full-sized model of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be assembled and displayed at the Maryland Science Center at Baltimore's Inner Harbor from October 14 through October 26, 2011. The model was previously built by NASA's prime contractor, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (Redondo Beach, CA), to provide a better understanding of the size, scale, and complexity of the observatory.
The model is constructed mainly of aluminum and steel, weighs 12,000 pounds, and is approximately 80 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 40 feet tall. It requires two trucks to ship it, and assembly takes a crew of 12 approximately four days. The free display also accompanies the annual meeting of the Association of Science Technology Centers that will be held in Baltimore on October 15-18.
Experts will be on hand to discuss the Webb telescope's deep-space mission, how it will observe distant galaxies and nearby stars and planets, and the progress made to date in building the observatory. Spokespeople will also be available starting at 10 a.m. EDT and throughout the model exhibition. There will also be educational activities and an "Ask the Scientist" booth in front of the model during the daytime.
For images and video, see: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/webb-balto.html.
For a sped-up video of the construction of the Webb full-scale model, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbCBeq2Rz9Q.
