On August 30, 2026, NASA plans to launch the Nancy Grace Roman space telescope from Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The launch is scheduled for 7:26 a.m. Eastern time.
The spacecraft will head to the L2 Lagrange point, 1,5 million kilometers from Earth. The journey will take about 100 days, after which scientific observations will begin.
The mission, costing 4,3 billion dollars, is designed to last five years. The main instrument is an infrared camera with a resolution of 300 megapixels. Additionally, a coronagraph is on board as a technology demonstration for direct observation of exoplanets.
The telescope will help better understand dark energy and dark matter, which make up about 95% of the universe. Scientists also hope to discover thousands of exoplanets.
"Roman is ready to conduct revolutionary surveys that will impact all areas of astronomy," said Julie McEnery, senior project scientist, at a July briefing.
The project originates from the 2010 astrophysics survey called WFIRST. Later, NASA received two 2,4-meter mirrors from the National Reconnaissance Office. Development faced cost issues and the pandemic, but ultimately is ahead of schedule: formal readiness was in May 2027.
On August 29, the telescope was already delivered to Launch Complex 39A and the rocket was raised to a vertical position. That day, a science briefing and press conference with NASA and SpaceX leaders are planned.
How will Roman's first data affect our understanding of the universe? Astronomers hope the mission will point to new research directions, including using the second mirror, for which there are currently no plans.
After completing the main surveys, the telescope may operate longer than planned. The team is already discussing possible extended observation programs.
