Scientific Goals and Opto-Mechanical Challenges of the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST)

The Next Generation Space Telescope will push the boundaries of astronomy far beyond anything, possible with an Earth-bound observatory, or even with the Hubble Space Telescope. I will outline the scientific objectives of the NGST and show how they fit into the NASA strategic plan for space astronomy. The NGST will not be the end of the line, and adaptive and active structures will enable even more powerful space observatories, capable of seeing even closer to the dawn of time, and of measuring the light from planets around other stars.