As the Science Operations Center for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the Space Telescope Science Institute is responsible for a multitude of activities to maximize the scientific output of the telescope. This includes coordinating the yearly call for proposals from astronomers worldwide who hope to use precious time on the telescope to carry out their scientific program of interest.

For Webb’s fifth cycle, which begins in July 2026, STScI received a record-breaking number of proposals spanning across nearly all areas of astrophysics. There’s more behind the number, though. The types of requests show astronomers are ready to answer even bolder scientific questions with the world’s premier space observatory.