The links below provide the history of the conception and development of JWST thus far. These pages are partly based on a presentation given by Peter Stockman (JWST/STScI Project Scientist) at the 2001 Hubble Fellows Symposium.
Prior to September 10, 2002, the JWST was known as the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). In the pages below we will reference the name of the observatory that was in use at the time of a given milestone.
- 1989-1994 Conception, the early years
- 1995-1996 Stepping up the bid, going for 8 meters
- 1997-2001 Reality hits, re-scope to 6m
- 2002 Selecting the partners
- 2003-2004 Working on the Detailed Design
- 2005 The First Major Reviews and a Financial Shock
- 2006 Back on Track
- 2007-2008 Approaching Preliminary Design Review
- 2009-2010 Passing the Mission Critical Design Review (MCDR)
More detailed information on the current status and the current design of the JWST.