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    Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

    Also known as Roman, Roman Space Telescope, WFIRST

    The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a NASA flagship observatory with a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble's, built to study dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics.[1] It launched on a Falcon Heavy on August 30, 2026, and its surveys are designed to map vast numbers of galaxies and complete a statistical census of planetary systems in the Milky Way.[2][3]

    Editor reviewedUpdated Space exploration and astronomySpaceScience
    Key facts

    What it is

    Roman is NASA’s next flagship astrophysics observatory after Webb. Its field of view is at least 100 times larger than Hubble’s, and it carries two instruments: a Wide Field Instrument and a Coronagraph for directly imaging exoplanets and planet-forming disks.[1] Its stated goals are dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics.[1] The roughly $4.3 billion telescope is named after NASA’s first chief astronomer and was built around a telescope the National Reconnaissance Office offered to NASA.[4]

    Launch

    Roman lifted off at 7:26 a.m. EDT on August 30, 2026, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.[2] The rocket’s two side boosters flew back to land near the launch site.[5]

    After launch

    Roman is travelling about a million miles to its operating orbit around the second Lagrange point, L2, and spent September 2026 switching on its systems. NASA activated the Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared camera. Each of its images covers a patch of sky larger than the full Moon at Hubble-like sharpness. On September 22 the Coronagraph Instrument observed cosmic light for the first time.[6] Tests of its guidance system showed it can hold the telescope steady to better than 1/100,000 of a degree for half an hour, or for eight hours during the longer coronagraph observations.[7]

    The launch also left Roman with spare fuel. Roman was designed for a five-year primary mission and a five-year extension. NASA said in September 2026 that a very accurate first course-correction burn, plus extra fuel loaded because the observatory launched lighter than budgeted, leaves enough propellant for at least 22 years of possible science operations.[8]

    Science goals

    Dark energy. Roman will map galaxies across huge areas of sky and could measure light from a billion galaxies over its lifetime.[3] Finding many more Type Ia supernovae, the exploding stars used to discover cosmic acceleration, is a key part of testing whether the standard model of the universe holds.[9]

    Exoplanets. NASA says Roman will complete a statistical census of planetary systems in the galaxy.[3] Its main tool is gravitational microlensing, which measures how a planet’s gravity bends light from a background star and can find planets that other methods miss, including analogues of the Solar System’s giant planets.[10] Its Coronagraph is designed to image exoplanets and planet-forming disks directly.[1]

    Speed. Roman’s project scientist says a one-month survey of the Milky Way would take Hubble about a century.[11] Its catalogues are intended to be available to everyone, not just professional researchers.[9]

    Budget context

    Roman survived repeated proposals to cut NASA science, and NASA’s March 2026 plans described it as setting “a new standard for large mission management”.[12] The Planetary Society’s analysis of the fiscal 2027 budget request found Roman still funded even as about 53 other science missions faced likely termination.[13] NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Congress in April 2026 that he believes NASA needs more flagship missions like Roman.[14] For how Roman, Webb and Rubin divide the work, see how space telescopes work.

    Questions readers ask

    When did Roman launch?

    On August 30, 2026, at 7:26 a.m. EDT, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center.[2]

    How is Roman different from Webb and Hubble?

    Roman is built for wide surveys. Its field of view is at least 100 times larger than Hubble's, so it can catalogue large areas of sky quickly.[1][11]

    Is Roman working yet?

    It is being commissioned. In September 2026 NASA switched on its 300-megapixel Wide Field Instrument, tested its guidance, and on September 22 the coronagraph saw cosmic light for the first time while Roman headed for its orbit near L2.[6]

    How will Roman find planets?

    Mainly through gravitational microlensing, which can reveal planets that are undetectable by other methods, including analogues of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.[10]

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      Roman has a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble's, carries a Wide Field Instrument and a Coronagraph, and is designed to address dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    2. [2]

      NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. EDT on August 30, 2026. confirmedas of 2026-08-30

    3. [3]

      NASA says Roman will complete a statistical census of planetary systems in our galaxy and could measure light from a billion galaxies over its lifetime. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    4. [4]

      Roman cost about $4.3 billion, has a five-year primary mission, and was built around a telescope donated to NASA by the National Reconnaissance Office. reportedas of 2026-08-28

    5. [5]

      On the Roman launch in August 2026, the two Falcon Heavy side boosters separated about 2.5 minutes after liftoff, flipped and flew back to land near the launch site. confirmedas of 2026-08-30

    6. [6]

      In September 2026 NASA activated Roman's Wide Field Instrument, a 300-megapixel infrared camera whose images each cover a patch of sky larger than the full Moon, and on September 22 the Coronagraph Instrument made its first observation of cosmic light, while Roman travelled toward the second Lagrange point (L2). confirmedas of 2026-09-30

    7. [7]

      NASA's September 2026 tests showed Roman's fine-guidance system can hold the observatory steady to better than 1/100,000 of a degree for half an hour during Wide Field Instrument observations, or for eight hours during coronagraph observations. confirmedas of 2026-09-30

    8. [8]

      NASA said in September 2026 that an accurate first mid-course correction and extra fuel loaded at launch leave Roman with fuel for at least 22 years of potential science operations, against a design of a five-year primary mission plus a five-year extension. confirmedas of 2026-09-14

    9. [9]

      Roman is expected to find many more Type Ia supernovae, the exploding stars used to discover dark energy, to test the standard cosmological model, and its catalogues will be available to everyone rather than only to academics. reportedas of 2026-08-28

    10. [10]

      Roman will use gravitational microlensing, which detects planets through the way their gravity bends light from background stars, to find planets that other methods cannot, including analogues of the Solar System's outer giant planets. reportedas of 2026-08-28

    11. [11]

      Roman's project scientist says its one-month survey of the Milky Way would take about a century with Hubble. reportedas of 2026-08-28

    12. [12]

      NASA's March 2026 Ignition fact sheet said Roman would advance understanding of dark energy and "set a new standard for large mission management". confirmedas of 2026-03-24

    13. [13]

      The Planetary Society counted 53 science missions likely facing termination under the fiscal 2027 request, while Roman, Dragonfly and NEO Surveyor remained funded. reportedas of 2026-04-23· interpretation

    14. [14]

      NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told Congress in April 2026 that he believed NASA needs more flagship science missions and that savings from commercial launch and standardized spacecraft could pay for them. reportedas of 2026-04-22

    15. [15]

      Rubin takes an image about every 40 seconds, collects about 10 terabytes of data a night, produces up to seven million alerts a night that stream to automated alert brokers, will revisit each point in the sky about 800 times over the decade, and will release its billions of catalogued objects openly; its public alerts had already led to hundreds of transient discoveries before the survey began. confirmedas of 2026-06-30

    Revision history (2)
    1. Page created.
    2. Added September 2026 commissioning milestones (Wide Field Instrument on, first coronagraph light) and NASA's estimate of at least 22 years of fuel.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 10, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope

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