Searching for Extraterrestrial Life
with the
Habitable Worlds Observatory

Lee Feinberg presented the science and engineering behind this future flagship Space telescope– the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). The talk covered the key and driving science needs, the architectures being studied, and the technologies being used for the HWO. Also discussed was how lessons from previous space telescopes are being factored into the effort.

The Habitable Worlds Observatory is being designed as a massive, next-generation space telescope—often called a “super-Hubble” — that will build on the technologies of the Hubble, James Webb, and Roman space telescopes. The primary goal of the HWO is to directly image Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars and analyze their atmospheres for biosignatures, or chemical evidence of life.

Lee Feinberg brings a wealth of experience from NASA’s most critical space projects. He currently serves as the Principal Architect for the HWO at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. For over 20 years, he was the Telescope Manager and optics lead for the revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Prior to that, he was part of the team responsible for repairing and upgrading the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Feinberg is a NASA Goddard Senior Fellow and a recipient of the US government’s Presidential Rank Award for his contributions to the JWST.

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