NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launches to Study the Dark Universe
NASA launched its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on a Falcon Heavy, targeting dark matter and dark energy; first images expected in early 2027.
Over the coming days and weeks, the rest of its instruments will deploy and activate. Once fully operational, the telescope will send home 1.4 terabytes of data a day, and its first images are expected in early 2027, according to NASA and Engadget.
The telescope is designed to image swaths of the sky 100 times larger than what Hubble could capture. In addition to helping scientists study dark matter and dark energy, Roman will observe exoplanets and planet-forming discs. NASA says it may measure light from a billion galaxies over the duration of its mission.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a statement: "Roman will be a discovery machine that will bring us closer than ever before to answering humanity's most profound questions about our cosmic history. With its large field of view and fast survey speeds, Roman will usher us into a new era of discovery and make the invisible visible, setting the foundation for humanity's search for life beyond our solar system."