An interstellar row has broken out between the Royal Astronomical Society and Nasa over claims a former boss purged gay staff. The James Webb space telescope – the most powerful observatory ever built – was named in honour of the man who ran the space agency in the 1960s. But the 202-year-old society has ordered its 4,000 members to refrain from using the telescope's full title following claims that Mr Webb was a homophobe who oversaw a purge of gay employees.