“We have a lot of things we’re trying to improve,” Mr. Robinson said.
Born in Danville, Virginia, along the southern edge of the state, he was the ninth of 11 children. His parents were tobacco farmers. He attended an elementary school for black children through fifth grade, when the school district was finally incorporated in 1970.
Learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope
After traveling nearly a million miles to reach a location beyond the Moon, the James Webb Space Telescope will spend years observing the universe.
He was the only one in his family who pursued science and mathematics, with a football scholarship on his way to Virginia Union University in Richmond. He later transferred to Howard University. He received a BA in Mathematics from Virginia Union, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Howard.
He began working at NASA in 1989, following up on some friends who already worked there. Over the years, his positions have included Deputy Director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and Deputy Chief Engineer.
Webb’s assignment came amid poor publicity for the project.
The launch target date has been pushed back again, to May 2020 as of 2019. And NASA has created a review board of outside experts to advise on what needs to be done to get Webb to the finish line.
A month into Mr. Robinson’s term, a failed test provided a vivid illustration of the need for reform.