Educator Guide: The Origami Satellite

origami satellite james webb

Engineers work on the James Webb Space Telescope’s primary mirror. The 18 hexagonal mirror segments are made of lightweight yet tough beryllium and coated with a thin layer of gold to boost reflectivity.

Desiree Stover/NASA

About this guide

In this guide, students will learn about NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and discuss how scientific advances have shaped the telescope’s mission.

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This Guide Includes:

Getting ready for lift-off

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “When James Webb launches, it will have a bigger to-do list than 1980s researchers suspected,” which details the long journey of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to make it into space to explore other galaxies. A version of the story, “The origami satellite,” appears in the October 9, 2021 & October 23, 2021 issue of Science News.

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