Webb’s critics say he was complicit in the firing of gay and lesbian employees during the “Lavender Scare” starting after World War II.
NASA is a global brand, but its mission names don’t always carry the same recognition. And the decision to nix people-inspired names got little attention until it was mentioned last month during a meeting of the NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee,NASA said the policy for projects and buildings, which went into effect Dec. 20, “encourages the use of naming to unify and inspire, and to highlight accomplishments broader than any one individual.
“We seem to be living in an age defined in comic book movies filled with ‘heroes’ and ‘villains,’” he said in an email. “James Webb is surely a worthy name and … expecting anyone to be perfect, particularly when judged by standards that evolved after they died, is ridiculous.” Plus, he said Webb probably would have hated being associated with a mission that was so significantly over budget. Webb was once director of the White House’s budgeting arm.
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