NASA Artifacts From Webb Telescope, Parker Solar Probe on Display at Smithsonian

Testing replicas of key components from two pioneering NASA missions are now on permanent exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:06pm

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A testing replica of the 'backbone' of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and a full-scale model of the agency's Parker Solar Probe are now on permanent display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The Webb telescope pathfinder and Parker Solar Probe replica allow visitors to see the innovative engineering behind these groundbreaking space missions.

Why it matters

The display of these NASA artifacts at the Smithsonian highlights the remarkable achievements of the Webb telescope and Parker Solar Probe, which are pushing the boundaries of space exploration and our understanding of the Sun and the universe. Visitors can gain insight into the immense scale, complexity, and technical ingenuity required to build these pioneering spacecraft.

The details

The Webb telescope's Optical Telescope Element Pathfinder is a high-fidelity replica that stands over 21 feet tall, with a secondary mirror that reaches more than 26 feet when fully deployed. This pathfinder played a key role in testing the telescope's unprecedented size and temperature requirements. The Parker Solar Probe replica, built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, includes exact duplicates of components like the heat shield and solar array cooling system that enable the spacecraft to survive the extreme conditions near the Sun.

  • The Webb telescope pathfinder and Parker Solar Probe replica are now on permanent display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

The players

Nicky Fox

Associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington.

Mike Davis

NASA's project manager for the Webb telescope at the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Adam Szabo

Parker Solar Probe mission scientist at NASA Goddard.

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

The museum where the NASA artifacts are on permanent display.

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)

The institution that built and operates the Parker Solar Probe.

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What they’re saying

“From touching the Sun with Parker Solar Probe to creating humanity's most powerful window into the cosmos with the James Webb Space Telescope, these missions show what humanity can achieve as we continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge through visionary science.”

— Nicky Fox, Associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

“NASA is proud to see the James Webb Space Telescope Optical Telescope Element Pathfinder on display at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center. This remarkable test structure helped engineers prepare the largest space telescope ever built. Standing before it, visitors can glimpse not only the immense scale of Webb, but also the human curiosity and ingenuity that drive us to reach beyond our world and explore the universe.”

— Mike Davis, NASA's project manager for the Webb telescope at the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center

“Parker Solar Probe has been vital for giving us an up-close look at one of the most extreme environments in our solar system, showing us where space weather is born. This information is key to understanding the Sun's upper atmosphere and how it affects us.”

— Adam Szabo, Parker Solar Probe mission scientist at NASA Goddard

The takeaway

The display of these NASA artifacts at the Smithsonian underscores the remarkable engineering and scientific achievements behind the Webb telescope and Parker Solar Probe, which are expanding our understanding of the cosmos and the Sun in unprecedented ways. Visitors can gain a deeper appreciation for the human ingenuity and technological breakthroughs that make such ambitious space missions possible.