Nancy Grace Roman Telescope

NASA's Roman Telescope Is Ready for Launch

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hBFbqd62H0


Apr 21, 2026
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in September 2026, nearly nine months ahead of its required launch readiness date of May 2027.

In its final years of construction, the observatory underwent rigorous environmental tests designed to prove it can withstand the demanding journey from Earth to space.

These environmental tests included blasting the telescope with the intense sound of a rocket launch, vibrating the observatory while enclosed in a protective clean tent, another launch simulation, and placing it inside a thermal vacuum chamber where it was cooled to the extreme operating temperatures of space.

Each of these tests proved Roman's worthiness for early flight and is a testiment to the hard work from the entire team.

Music: Astral Geometry by Jon R Mohr and Fast Lane by Ruinz Ason, Simon James, Von Hemingway, William Riddims from Universal Production Music

Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Flyaway said:
https://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html
By: John Kraus
Updated: May 4, 2026
Timeline is just slightly changed but it isn't a major impact to the schedule.
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I think that this might be a distinction without a difference. The NASA administrator made a comment that the telescope was ahead of schedule and therefore might be launched earlier than scheduled. I am somewhat doubtful that it will launch earlier than planned. This is a very expensive one-of-a-kind instrument, and if you have schedule margin, it makes more sense to use that margin to double check everything, make sure your crew is well-rested, etc. I don't think that anything is gained by launching a few weeks or months early.


Addendum: I'm also not sure that a launch can be moved up. The Cape is pretty heavily scheduled. Then again, one of the reasons NASA pays a premium on launches is to launch by certain dates, so they may have more pull with the contractor (SpaceX) and the range.
 
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NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Gets Last Look [May 29]

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have completed their final inspection of a key element for the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: the primary mirror. This 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) mirror will collect and focus light from cosmic objects near and far, helping Roman capture stunning panoramas of space.

“The Roman engineering team laid eyes on the telescope for the final time before it, in turn, becomes the eyes of humanity, revealing the wonders of the cosmos,” said J. Scott Smith, the Roman telescope manager at NASA Goddard. “It is a profoundly humbling moment to witness the culmination of hard work from so many dedicated individuals, teams, and partner organizations, including L3Harris.”

On May 20, engineers turned the Roman observatory onto its side and deployed the “hood” that will be stowed for launch to protect the mirror. Then the team conducted a meticulous visual inspection to ensure no specks fell onto the mirrors during testing and confirm there are no changes in the mirror path and alignment.

“We developed a method of using a high-resolution camera equipped with a very powerful zoom lens to do a multi-purpose inspection,” said Bente Eegholm, optics lead for Roman’s Optical Telescope Assembly at NASA Goddard. “The mirror passed with flying colors, keeping the mission on track for an early September launch.”

The team carefully observed the optics along the path light will follow to the Wide Field Instrument detector array and confirmed it remains in proper alignment following the observatory shake test.

“In order to gather very sensitive measurements of objects strewn throughout space, all of Roman’s components have to be ultraprecise,” Eegholm said. “The primary mirror certainly delivers on that precision.”

Roman’s primary mirror sports a layer of silver less than 400 nanometers thick — about 200 times thinner than a human hair. The silver coating was specifically chosen for Roman because of how well it reflects near-infrared light. By contrast, the Hubble Space Telescope’s mirror is coated with layers of aluminum and magnesium fluoride to optimize visible and ultraviolet light reflectivity. Likewise, the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors have a gold coating to suit its longer wavelength infrared observations.

The Roman mirror is so finely polished that the average bump on its surface is only 1.2 nanometers tall — more than twice as smooth as the mission requires. If the mirror were scaled up to Earth’s size, these bumps would be just a quarter of an inch high.

Since it’s made of a specialty ultralow-expansion glass, the mirror will resist flexing, which can happen to materials during temperature changes (like going from balmy Earth conditions to the deep freeze of space). This preserves Roman’s image quality, because if the primary mirror changed shape, it would distort the images from the telescope.

“We’re really proud of the amazing optical system we’ve delivered for the Roman mission alongside our partners at L3Harris,” said Josh Abel, lead Optical Telescope Assembly systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “Now that it’s assembled, aligned, and all shined up, we’re ready to go.”

Now, the Roman team is preparing to ship the observatory to the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the coming weeks. NASA expects the mission to begin returning incredible cosmic vistas within several months after launch.
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAgrztFvWyk


NASA Invites Media to See Roman Space Telescope Arrive at Kennedy [June 1]

Registration is open for media to cover the arrival of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the coming weeks.

The observatory will arrive aboard NASA’s Pegasus barge from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where teams completed its construction, assembly, and testing. Credentialed media will be able to witness the arrival and unloading of the space telescope in its transport container at NASA Kennedy’s turn basin. From there, technicians will move the telescope to the center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility for launch processing.

NASA subject matter experts will be available on site to answer questions about the arrival.

Media interested in participating must apply for credentials at:

https://media.ksc.nasa.gov

To receive credentials, media must apply by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 4. This opportunity is open to U.S. citizens only.
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Hello, World! NASA Shares New Home for Roman Space Telescope Updates [June 3]

We’re kicking off the inaugural Roman blog post with a launch update: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is officially slated to launch Aug. 30, eight months ahead of schedule and even earlier than previously targeted.

With less than three months to go, the Roman team now is finishing up final tasks. Engineers are currently packing Roman up for a voyage from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, down to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this month.

Once at Kennedy, Roman will move into the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, where it will undergo a thorough inspection to verify all the observatory’s components traveled well. In the weeks leading up to launch, engineers will perform powered testing and launch rehearsals, load about 290 gallons (roughly 1,100 liters) of hydrazine fuel into the tanks, and install the observatory on the adapter for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket that will propel it to its destination in space: the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2, which is about four times farther away than the Moon is from Earth.

Next, Roman will be encapsulated in a protective fairing, or nose cone, which will shield the telescope during liftoff and its journey through the atmosphere. Roman will then move to a hangar for integration with a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket before rolling out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA Kennedy.

All this work will culminate in Roman delivering never-before seen views of the universe. The observatory will pair a large field of view with crisp infrared vision to survey deep, vast swaths of sky. While the mission was designed with dark energy, dark matter, and planets outside our solar system in mind, Roman’s unprecedented observational capability will offer practically limitless opportunities for astronomers to explore a broad range of cosmic phenomena.

Follow along with the blog for updates, including a behind the scenes look at the road to launch and Roman’s journey to L2.
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NASA Goddard has release a new status report for the telescope:

​
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now complete. This video, which covers the first half of 2026, highlights some of the final hardware milestones from this journey.

It opens with an aerial view of the complete observatory inside NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s largest clean room, the Spacecraft Systems Development and Integration Facility. The room is a class 10,000 clean room with over one million cubic feet of space.

Some parts of Roman stow for launch. Once in space, these deployable components move into their operational positions. Engineers test these deployments on the ground to make sure they will go as planned in space. Four of the six Solar Array Sun Shield panels deploy. They fold against the spacecraft to fit inside the rocket fairing and then deploy in space to make a large flat plane that both collects light to generate electricity and helps keep the rest of Roman cool. The Deployable Aperture Cover (DAC), which protects the mirrors during launch and then unfolds to help shield them from sunlight, also test deploys. During this test, lines connect to it and pull upward to negate Earth’s gravitational forces, which Roman will not experience in space.

In preparation for vibration and acoustic testing, technicians put a clean tent over Roman and transport it out of the clean room. They push it next to the massive vibration tables, one of which shakes horizontally and the other vertically. A crane lifts Roman and the tent onto the tables, and also performs a 90-degree rotation after one horizontal test so that Roman can be tested on a different axis with the same table. Engineers attach hundreds of sensors and run tests of increasing intensity. During and after each test, they carefully study the data to make sure that Roman is behaving as anticipated.

For the acoustic test, they push it into the test chamber where a six-foot-tall horn projects up to 150-decibel sound at varying frequencies. A thick door seals the chamber and prevents most of the sound from escaping, although ear protection is still required for anyone nearby during a test. These tests are mostly to ensure that Roman can survive the rigors of launch. Once in space, it won’t be subjected to nearly as much force.

Once the tests are successfully completed, Roman re-enters the clean room and the tent is removed. Technicians lift Roman to a special rollover fixture that can safely tilt and spin Roman’s 18,500 pound mass. Once Roman is tilted horizontal for the first time as a full observatory, engineers slowly spin it through 360 degrees to make sure everything stays in place like it is supposed to.

After the rotations, technicians carefully perform a manual opening of the DAC to reveal the mirror. In this position, they can inspect the entire optical path all the way back to the instrument sensors and perform surface cleaning on the inside of the protective outer barrel and DAC. This is also a chance for final goodbyes to the mirror. Once the DAC is closed, no one will ever see the mirror as clearly again.

With all the assembly and testing at Goddard completed, the team begins the delicate process of loading Roman into an airtight container known as the CHARIOT (Conditioned Housing for Air, Road, Imaging optics assembly, and Observatory Transport). First they attach arms which will form the interior sides and support Roman. Then they lift and move Roman into the lower bed of the CHARIOT. An inner lid goes on first, followed by a larger outer lid with ducting to keep the observatory the right temperature and preserve the clean environment. As the CHARIOT leaves the clean room, Roman takes its first step in the journey to space.

Music credit: “Touching Clouds,” Andre Jesus Oliveira and Andre Miguel Lopes Roque [PRS], Universal Production Music​
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Videographers: Sophia Roberts (eMITS)
Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Rob Andreoli (eMITS)
John Philyaw (eMITS)
Jolearra Tshiteya (ASRC Federal)
Drone Pilot: Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park)
Editor: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
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Teams Complete Flight Readiness Review for NASA’s Roman Telescope

Mission managers from NASA, the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, and SpaceX conducted a Flight Readiness Review Friday, at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Teams provided updates and reviewed the mission’s status before certifying that the mission is ready to begin final launch preparation activities. NASA and SpaceX are targeting Roman’s launch no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy.

In the coming days, teams will transport the Roman observatory, encapsulated in Falcon Heavy’s fairing, to SpaceX’s hangar at pad 39A, where technicians will attach it to the rocket before sending it out to the launch pad.

Roman, NASA’s newest space telescope, will change the way we see the universe and settle essential questions in astronomy, helping researchers understand how the universe has changed over time, what drives its expansion, and the worlds that exist beyond our solar system, known as exoplanets.

Stay updated with the latest on the Roman mission:
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FighterJock said:
Cannot wait for launch day, let's wait and see what happens weather wise at Cape Canaveral.
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I don't know what the launch window is. But it's an astrophysics mission, so they will have a lot of windows, unlike shooting for a planet. I think an important thing is to get it off the ground before we get too deep into hurricane season.
 
NASA uploaded this brief video a day ago:


Meet NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a survey machine that will transform our view of the cosmos. This mission pairs a large field of view with crisp infrared vision, scanning vast, deep swaths of sky to help astronomers explore dark matter, dark energy, and exoplanets. Since each of Roman’s surveys will sample such a large volume of the cosmos, the mission will also offer practically limitless opportunities for astronomers to conduct a broad range of additional science. From objects in our outer solar system and exploding stars to growing black holes and galaxies by the billions, very little will be beyond Roman’s reach.​
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A short video should the release of the NGRST from the Falcon Heavy second-stage:


NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope separates from the second stage of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket that launched the observatory from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff was 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026.
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This is an ESA media briefing from two days ago concerning the separation of BepiColombo's cruise-stage:


Rewatch the European Space Agency's 31 August 2026 online press briefing on the latest developments of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission, Europe's and Japan's first mission to Mercury.

This briefing focused on the complexities of the separation of the Mercury Transfer Module (MTM), scheduled for 3 September 2026, a critical milestone marking the start of BepiColombo’s Mercury arrival phase. It also provided an overview of the operational challenges and milestones ahead, including Mercury orbit insertion in November 2026 and the separation of the two science orbiters (ESA's MPO and JAXA's Mio) in December 2026.

The briefing also provided an update on the mission’s status and explored the scientific opportunities that await as BepiColombo prepares to begin operations around Mercury. Journalists had the opportunity to ask questions following the presentations from three speakers:​

• Prof. Geraint Jones, Lead Project Scientist, ESA
• Santa Martinez, Mission Manager, ESA
• Ignacio Tanco, Head of Inner Solar System Mission Operations, ESA


BepiColombo will be the most complex mission ever sent to Mercury. Its orbiters will be only the second and third to orbit the planet. Close to the Sun and more difficult for an orbiter to reach than Pluto, this small desert world is the least explored planet of the inner Solar System. Learning more about Mercury will shed light on the history of the entire Solar System.​

The mission is a collaboration between ESA and JAXA, the latter providing the Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (Mio).

To learn more about the arrival at Mercury of BepiColombo, the spacecraft's eight-year journey, and the mission's science goals, go to https://www.esa.int/Science_Explorati...

For the latest BepiColombo news, head to https://www.esa.int/Science_Explorati...https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...ation/Space_Science/BepiColombo&v=bXXQZ2F1eI0

Credit: ESA - European Space Agency

We are Europe's gateway to space. Our mission is to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. Check out https://www.esa.int/ to get up to speed on everything space related.​

Copyright information about our videos is available here: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Te...
https://www.youtube.com/redirect?ev...os_available_on_the_esa_website&v=bXXQZ2F1eI0
#esa #science #BepiColombo #Mercury
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One of the more interesting pieces of hardware on the new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (RST) is its communications antenna.

Roman and JWST both use S-band for command/telemetry/ranging and Ka-band for science data, but their antenna systems are quite different. ⬇️

JWST keeps the two functions physically separate: a 0.2 m S-band medium-gain antenna beside a 0.6 m Ka-band high-gain antenna, both carried on the same articulated pointing platform.

Roman effectively combines them.⬇️

Roman uses a single 1.7 m dual-band high-gain reflector for both S-band and Ka-band.

S-band handles commanding and housekeeping telemetry; Ka-band provides the high-rate science downlink, up to 500 Mbps. ⬇️

The clever part is inside the feed.

Patent US11581663B1 shows the arrangement: the S-band feed sits at the prime focus, a frequency-selective surface (FSS) above it is essentially transparent at S-band but acts as the secondary reflector for the Ka-band Cassegrain system. ⬇️

The 1.7 m aperture works very differently at the two frequencies.

At S-band, radiation passes through the FSS and illuminates the main reflector directly. At Ka-band, the FSS becomes the subreflector and couples the central Ka horn to the same dish.

A neat RF engineering.⬇️

This helps explain Roman’s strong S-band signal. At ~500,000 km I saw it ~40 dB above my noise floor with a 1.6 m dish (~10 dB/K G/T). Unlike JWST’s 0.2 m S-band MGA, Roman can use its full 1.7 m aperture—~18.6 dB more potential gain.
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https://twitter.com/x/status/2095598207535636697
View: https://x.com/coastal8049/status/2095598207535636697
 
Fuel Savings Double Potential Lifetime for NASA’s Roman Mission

The results are in: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s very accurate first mid-course correction, along with other fuel savings, are expected to more than double the mission’s potential operational lifetime.

“As a result of exquisite planning by our orbital dynamics team, brilliant execution by the operations team, and a precise launch from SpaceX, Roman has fuel for at least 22 years of potential science operations,” said Jamie Dunn, center director at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The added life comes from the first mid-course correction’s accuracy, extra fuel added prior to launch, and anticipated results from Roman’s upcoming second mid-course correction and orbital insertion.
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NASA Activates Roman’s Primary Instrument, Checks Out Coronagraph

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully activated the Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared camera that will allow scientists to explore wide swaths of the cosmos very quickly without sacrificing exquisite detail.

Roman’s planet imager — the Coronagraph Instrument — also stretched its digital, electronic, and mechanical “limbs” as part of an initial test after waking up earlier this month.

These steps are part of a monthslong series of calibrations and tests, as Roman continues its million-mile journey to its destination at the second Lagrange point, L2.
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