NASA Clears Roman Telescope’s 7.9-Foot Mirror for September Launch
Updated
Updated · NASA · May 29
NASA Clears Roman Telescope’s 7.9-Foot Mirror for September Launch
3 articles · Updated · NASA · May 29
NASA engineers completed the final visual inspection of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s 7.9-foot primary mirror after deploying its protective launch hood and checking for specks, coating flaws and misalignment.
May 20 inspections confirmed the optics stayed properly aligned after the observatory’s shake test, keeping the mission on track for an early September launch.
The mirror’s silver coating is less than 400 nanometers thick and optimized for near-infrared light, unlike Hubble’s visible-light coating and Webb’s gold-coated infrared mirrors.
Roman’s surface bumps average just 1.2 nanometers high—more than twice as smooth as required—and its ultralow-expansion glass is designed to resist warping as temperatures plunge in space.
The observatory is set to ship to Kennedy Space Center in the coming weeks, with NASA expecting science images within several months after launch.
How did NASA's Roman telescope defy expectations, finishing under budget and launching eight months early?
Will Roman's groundbreaking coronagraph be the key to directly imaging Earth-like worlds for the first time?
Scanning 1,000 times faster than Hubble, how will scientists manage the Roman telescope's massive data streams to find cosmic secrets?
Roman Space Telescope Enters Final Pre-Launch Phase: 2026 Mission to Revolutionize Dark Energy and Exoplanet Science
Overview
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has reached its final pre-launch phase, with its optical system successfully aligned and tested, marking it ready for launch as early as fall 2026. This powerful infrared telescope will conduct core community and general astrophysics surveys, enabling a wide range of scientific investigations. Roman aims to answer fundamental questions about dark energy and dark matter, and is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Its completion brings the world closer to deploying a new tool that will open up unprecedented opportunities for cosmic discovery.