OREANDA-NEWS. May 13, 2016. Media are invited to learn more about NASA's James Webb Space Telescope at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago at 8 p.m., May 19. During an installment of the planetarium's series "Adler After Dark," engineers and scientists responsible for this revolutionary observatory will give a presentation on how the Webb telescope can unleash a new dawn of discovery.

Scott Willoughby, vice president, Northrop Grumman and program manager, James Webb Space Telescope, and

Alberto Conti, innovation manager, Northrop Grumman, will discuss performance, progress and the science and engineering of the Webb telescope.

The James Webb Space Telescope is on track for launch in October 2018, and it will change the way the world views space and science for many generations to come. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is under contract to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and leads the industry team that designs and develops the Webb Telescope's optics, sunshield and spacecraft.

WHAT: Public and media are invited to learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope  
  in a special panel discussion as part of the planetarium's "Adler After Dark" series.
   
WHEN: Thursday, May 19, 8 p.m. CDT
   
WHERE: Adler Planetarium
  Room: Johnson Star Theater
  Museum Campus, 1300 S Lake Shore Dr.,
  Chicago, IL 60605
 
CURRENT ORDER OF EVENTS: 6:00 p.m.: Venue opens to general public
  7:30 p.m.: Media check in with Connie Reese at the Planetarium
  8:00 p.m.: James Webb Space Telescope panel discussion
   
RSVP: By 6:00 p.m. CDT, Tuesday, May 17 to
  Connie Reese
  661-618-4391
  Connie.reese@ngc.com

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's next-generation space observatory and successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. The most powerful space telescope ever built, the Webb Telescope will observe the most distant objects in the universe, provide images of the first galaxies formed and see unexplored planets around distant stars. The Webb Telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.