An image of the Orion nebula showing carbon-rich molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as wisps of red and orange

HWO News

Contact information for press inquiries and recent news about the mission.

Habitable Worlds Observatory Project Update

The Habitable Worlds Observatory Technology Maturation Project Office was established at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on August 1st, 2024. The following individuals make up the project office team (use the arrows in the bottom right corner to advance through slides):

  • Lee Feinberg (NASA GSFC), Principal Architect
  • Scott Smith (NASA GSFC), Project Manager (interim)
  • Mike Menzel (NASA GSFC), Mission Systems Engineer
  • Giada Arney (NASA GSFC), Project Scientist (interim)
  • John Ziemer (JPL), Pre-Formulation Architect, JPL Ex-officio*
  • Aki Roberge (NASA GSFC), Pre-Formulation Scientist (interim)
  • Bertrand Mennesson (JPL), Pre-Formulation Scientist, JPL Ex-officio*

Other key roles include:

  • Breann Sitarski (NASA GSFC), Deputy Principal Architect
  • Alice Liu, (NASA GSFC), Deputy Mission Systems Engineer
  • Matt Bolcar (NASA GSFC), Chief Technologist
  • Feng Zhao (JPL), Deputy Chief Technologist, JPL ex-officio*
  • Julie Van Campen (NASA GSFC), Servicing and Instrument Systems Lead
  • Marie Levine (JPL), Integrated Modeling Lead, JPL ex-officio*

*Ex-officio is used to distinguish activities that GSFC will uniquely perform, such as contracts to industry, budgeting, and deliverable definition (e.g. activities up to Phase A).

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NASA Awards Advance Technologies for Future Habitable Worlds Mission

In January 2024, NASA solicited industry proposals to help advance key technologies that will eventually be necessary for HWO. NASA has now selected three proposals to help inform NASA's approach to the mission.

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A telescope with a hexagon shaped barrel. At the end of the barrel there is a primary mirror made up of seperate hexagon shaped segments, like the James Webb telescope. There are also solar panels visible at the back of the telescope. There are rectangular shaped.
This is an updated render of Exploratory Analytic Case (EAC) 1 for the Habitable Worlds Observatory. It is unlikely that this will be the final version of the telescope's architecture.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

For any inquiries regarding the Habitable Worlds Observatory, please contact:

Alise Fisher

Public Affairs Specialist | Astrophysics

Office of Communications | NASA Headquarters

Phone: 202-358-2546

Email: alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

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SMD Large Mission Study

James Webb Space Telescope

The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.

About Roman

NASA’s Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is now named the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, after NASA’s first Chief of Astronomy.Credits: NASA