Space Telescope Science Institute TOGGLE SEARCH SEARCH MENU Main Navigation DRM JWST Home About News & Events Instrumentation Science Planning Science Execution Documentation Breadcrumbs Navigation Home James Webb Space Telescope About History Introduction Design Reference Mission The Ad Hoc Science Working Group (ASWG) was responsible for identifying the core science goals for the JWST mission. From 1997 to 1999, it developed hypothetical observing programs to accomplish them. These 25 programs were known as the Design Reference Mission (DRM) and were used to guide telescope, instrument, and satellite designs. Ideally, the JWST would be capable of accomplishing the DRM in less than half of its nominal 5-year lifetime, leaving the remainder of the observatory's mission for broader studies and follow-up observations. Observations were included in the DRM because they were thought to be representative of the types of science that people would do with a large, infrared-optimized space telescope. The DRM Programs fall within 5 main theme and are presented in detail sufficient to aid in the development of functional requirements for the JWST mission (e.g., before the selection and final design of the instruments and telescope optics). Expand All Collapse All Cosmology and the Structure of the Universe The Origin and Evolution of Galaxies The History of the Milky Way and Its Neighbors The Birth and Formation of Stars The Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems Subscribe to the JWST Observer News Mailing List Get the latest news delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe Follow JWST Observer on social media: Link tofacebook Link totwitter Link toyoutube For technical assistance, please contact the JWST Help Desk . The NASA James Webb Space Telescope, developed in partnership with ESA and CSA, is operated by AURA’s Space Telescope Science Institute. Back to top Footer STScI Secondary Navigation Who We Are Webcasts MAST News Center MyST Contact Us Opportunities Events Follow us on our social media channels. Link tofacebook Link totwitter Link toinstagram Link toyoutube Utility Navigation Sitemap Copyright Privacy