What is the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope?
NASA is launching the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to study dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets. The $4 billion observatory will operate from Lagrange point 2, building on the legacy of the Hubble and James Webb telescopes.
Why it matters
This mission represents a major advancement in space exploration and our fundamental understanding of the universe's evolution.
NASA is preparing to launch its next flagship space observatory — one scientists plan to use to investigate some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, including dark energy and dark matter, while also testing gravity at vast scales and hunting for planets beyond our solar system.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a roughly $4 billion project. At the time of writing, it was planned for a Sunday launch from the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The observatory will be lofted into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
The telescope is named after the late Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer. It is a follow-on to the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, and the James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, and has capabilities that can expand on the knowledge gained by those pioneering observatories, both of which also still operate.
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