Picardo & Nye Visit James Webb Space Telescope

Inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and technology has always been a part of Star Trek's legacy. I have particularly admired how Nichelle Nichols influenced so many young women to pursue careers at NASA and in STEM since the 70's. As a new board member of The Planetary Society, and through my monthly video newsletter, The Planetary Post, I hope to join Nichelle and promote the message that, if you love Star Trek, you love space exploration and science.

In my latest Planetary Post, watch as Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society, and I visit the huge James Webb Space Telescope, currently under construction at NASA's Goddard Space Center. Our guide is Amber Straughn, an astrophysicist at Goddard Space Center. The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in October 2018, and it will help us to see so deeply into the universe that we will see the "first light" of its formation. It will also help us search for more and more exoplanets. Hmm ... perhaps we'll find some that Starfleet would classify as Class M.

To learn more about The Planetary Society, please visit www.planetary.org. And just tell them The Doctor sent you.