NASA has launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, beginning a three-month, approximately one-million-mile journey to its operating position as the flagship astrophysics mission prepares to study dark matter, dark energy and planets beyond the solar system.
Roman launched at 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The observatory is traveling toward the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, known as L2, roughly one million miles from Earth.
The telescope combines a large field of view with infrared imaging capabilities designed to survey enormous portions of the sky and probe deep into cosmic history.
Its primary scientific objectives include improving astronomers’ understanding of dark matter and dark energy while identifying and studying exoplanets. NASA expects Roman’s surveys to support additional research beyond those central mission objectives.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center began receiving telemetry from Roman approximately seven minutes after launch.
Falcon Heavy separated from the observatory 31 minutes into the mission, and the rocket’s boosters returned safely to the launch site for refurbishment.
Roman’s solar panels and lower instrument sunshade successfully deployed one hour and 23 minutes after launch.
Additional early mission activities include deploying the telescope’s high-gain antenna and aperture cover, making mid-course trajectory corrections, and activating the Coronagraph Instrument.
The coronagraph is designed to demonstrate technologies that could eventually help future observatories directly image Earth-like planets. Roman itself will use the instrument to capture images of Jupiter-like planets.
A few weeks into the journey, NASA plans to activate Roman’s primary Wide Field Instrument.
The 300-megapixel infrared camera contains 18 4K detectors and is designed to generate large, detailed panoramas of the universe.
NASA said Roman will be capable of surveying the universe about 1,000 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope, thanks to its wide field of view, stable optical design, and ability to move rapidly between observations.
The observatory will undergo approximately three months of commissioning, calibration and testing before beginning its broader science program.
NASA expects to release Roman’s first images by early 2027.
Once operational, Roman is expected to transmit approximately 1.4 terabytes of data every day, which NASA said would represent the highest data rate yet for one of its astrophysics missions.
Machine learning, artificial intelligence and citizen scientists will help analyze that enormous data stream and identify potentially significant discoveries for astronomers to investigate.
Roman is the fourth primary NASA mission launched aboard Falcon Heavy.
NASA and SpaceX accelerated its launch schedule after the telescope was completed early.
NASA Goddard manages Roman, with participation from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech/IPAC and the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Primary industrial partners include BAE Systems, L3Harris Technologies and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, while international contributions come from ESA, JAXA, France’s CNES and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.
KEY QUOTES:
“Delivered ahead of schedule and on budget, this mission reflects more than a decade of dedication from the NASA workforce and our industry partners. Now, Roman will give us a new atlas of the universe, push the boundaries of discovery, and demonstrate what is possible when America’s space program pairs bold ambition with disciplined execution.”
Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator
“With its large field of view and fast survey speeds, Roman will usher us into a new era of discovery and make the invisible visible, setting the foundation for humanity’s search for life beyond our solar system.”
Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator For NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
“We’ve never been able to view the universe with eyes like Roman’s before. There’s no telling what more we’ll know and have seen by this time next year.”
Julie McEnery, Senior Project Scientist For Roman At NASA Goddard
