2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

James Webb Space Telescope: Building a Global Observatory

All countries on Earth share the same sky, and astrophysics works best as a global endeavor. Since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope 25 years ago, the most ambitious astrophysics science has been achieved through international collaboration. The upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest space telescope in history, brings us closer to discoveries previously thought to be the realm of science fiction: What is our Universal Address? What makes up the dark 95% of the universe? Do extrasolar planets harbor the possibility of life? The James Webb Space Telescope is an ambitious technological experiment, paving the way for future missions to expand on the concepts of deployable mirrors, sunshield-based cooling, micro-shutter arrays, and more. This session brings together influential drivers of this ambitious project to discuss the continued engagement of the world citizenry and the path to future progress.