The James Webb Space Telescope can use its full name in British journal again after controversy

After an "apparent failure" to investigate the former NASA chief's past, a prominent British scientific society is allowing his name to appear again.

The NASA-led James Webb Space Telescope is named after him, despite criticism from the Royal Astronomical Society that NASA didn't address the issue of gay employees. The name of the man can now be found in scientific papers after new information suggested he wasn't involved in the issues.

The acronym "JWST" will be used to refer to the observatory in scientific papers submitted to the journal. One of the top astronomy journals in the world is the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The best images of all time were taken by the james wbb space telescope.

In October, the RAS wrote NASA expressing concerns about how the telescope was named, citing the apparent failure to investigate James Webb's background and the dismissal of requests to change the telescope's name. The society said that all journal publications referring to the telescope must use the acronym JWST, without spelling out the name, pending more information.

Weeks later, NASA released an 87-page report concluding that Webb had no direct role in what has been dubbed the "Lavender Scare," a set of U.S. government actions which discriminated against or caused the firings of queer employees in the 1950s. Part of the investigation included NASA chief historian Brian Odom and an unidentified outside historian surveying more than 50,000 pages from the period of 1949 to 1969.

Related: It's official: NASA won't rename James Webb Space Telescope

According to the report, there is no evidence to link the firing of individuals for their sexual orientation to Webb. "Based on the available evidence, the agency does not plan to change the name of the telescope," the statement said.

Critics of the investigation have said that people who use their names for prominent missions should be held to a higher standard. They pointed to the broader cultural environment of the Cold War, when society at large didn't do enough to protect queer people.

The co-author of Why Am I Taller is Elizabeth Howell. A book about space medicine is in the works. Follow us on social media, like us on Facebook (opens in new tab)