Electrical engineering alum and Northrop Grumman VP Scott P. Willoughby '89 discusses engineering behind 'most ambitious, complex space observatory ever built' in CBS News segment
The countdown is on to the launch of the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope, which is currently scheduled for December 25.
Lehigh engineering alum Scott P. Willoughby '89 recently sat down with CBS News correspondent David Pogue to preview the capabilities of the state-of-the-art successor to the Hubble Telescope and discuss the complexity of the technology and the launch and deployment mission.
The infared telescope is "capable of seeing stars so distant, their light has been traveling for nearly 14 billion years," according to CBS News, and it will "will usher in a new era in our understanding of the origin and evolution of the cosmos."
Willoughby, who is an electrical engineering alum, discusses the more than 300 "single-point failures" —maneuvers that have to go right—for a successful deployment.
"You test them to greater extremes than they'll ever see," says Willoughby.
Watch the full CBS interview below to learn more.
CBS News Video: The revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope
