Mei-Li joined Northrop Grumman as an intern. Today, she’s a mechanical design engineer on the James Webb Space Telescope, working on the mechanical ground systems engineering team.
To the Edge of the Universe
To the Edge of the Universe: Four Employees Share Their Experience Shaping the Webb Telescope Launch.
A New Era In Astronomy
Engineering Marvel: The JWST Mega Sunshield Takes its Shape
Imagine having to squeeze an enormous mirror and a sunshield that's the size of a tennis court into a rocket ship. This is the reality of an intricate deployment Northrop Grumman engineers have incorporated into the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope.
Stories About the James Webb Space Telescope
Stories and reflections on building the largest, most complex telescope in history from employees at Northrop Grumman.
The Backplane of NASA’s Webb Telescope Offers a Strong, Steady Hand
The backplane of James Webb Space Telescope will hold the weight of more than 5,300 pounds of optics and instruments — while staying calm in a cold environment.
Creating Zero G on a Planet Weighed Down by Gravity
By using weights, pulleys and other forms of ground support equipment (not to mention a deep understanding of physics), Northrop Grumman engineers can mimic, as much as possible, the weightlessness of zero G.
The Coolest Technology: Cryocoolers
Cryocoolers are machines that keep sensors extremely cold so that satellites and space telescopes can take pictures on long-term missions. Whether we're looking back toward Earth or outward into deep space, the sensors that capture images require extremely low temperatures.
James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) is the closest thing we have to time travel, capturing images that offer a glimpse to the origins of the universe
Digital Modeling for Out-of-This-World Environments
Northrop Grumman engineers combined digital modeling with physical testing to predict how the James Webb Space Telescope -- the world's largest telescope -- will perform in space.
The Great Observatories
When it comes to solving the mysteries of the universe, Northrop Grumman has pioneered groundbreaking technologies from the very beginning of the Space Age. Our engineering and innovation have made possible a decades-long list of historic space missions to help humanity peer farther into the cosmos than ever before, including most recently with the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb).
Why the Webb Spacecraft Bus Is in a League of Its Own
While the payload of a space launch garners the most attention, it's the spacecraft bus that carries and supports every aspect of the mission for the life of that craft.