SCIENCE · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
NASA Prepares to Launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
WHY IT MATTERS
The Roman Space Telescope's launch will provide astronomers with new insights into the universe's evolution, dark matter, and the presence of rogue planets, ultimately advancing our understanding of the cosmos.
What happened
NASA is gearing up to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a flagship space telescope that combines spy technology with sophisticated infrared detectors. The telescope was developed by the National Reconnaissance Office and transferred to NASA in 2012.
After over a decade of modifications, the telescope is set to launch as early as August 30, 2026. Once in position, the telescope will survey a billion galaxies, tracing the universe's evolution over time.
It will study the three-dimensional distribution of dark matter, measure the expansion rate of the universe, and monitor small variations in light from stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. The Roman telescope's coronagraph instrument will test technology for detecting Earth-like planets around other stars.
DEVELOPING STORY
Story timeline
PRIMARY SOURCES
NASA is gearing up to launch its next flagship space telescope – combining spy technology with sophisticated infrared detectors
The Conversation US · Don Figer, Professor and Director of the Rochester Imaging Detector Laboratory, Rochester Institute of Technology · CC BY-ND; link/attribution intake only—no edited republication