NASA's newest Roman space telescope launches on a quest to explore the hidden universe

NASA's newest Roman space telescope launched on August 30, 2026, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The $4.3 billion telescope, named after NASA's first chief astronomer, Nancy Grace Roman, will explore dark energy, planets, and galaxies. It will reach its destination in over three months and have a field of view 100 times wider than Hubble's. The telescope will scan the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble, making it capable of finding thousands of supernovae, tens of thousands of planets, and billions of galaxies. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised the launch, and President Donald Trump offered congratulations. The telescope will help scientists understand dark matter and dark energy, and its refueling capability may extend its lifespan.

• Roman's field of view is more than 100 times wider than Hubble's.
• Roman will scan the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble.
• Roman will find thousands of supernovae, tens of thousands of planets, and billions of galaxies.
• The telescope is designed to be refueled, potentially extending its life.
• Roman is NASA's first space telescope named after a woman, honoring Nancy Grace Roman.

The telescope will join the European Space Agency's Euclid spacecraft and the National Science Foundation's Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Roman's primary mirror is the same size as Hubble's, and it was donated by the National Reconnaissance Office. The telescope will directly image faint planets orbiting masked stars using an experimental coronagraph. The launch was a success, with the rocket's boosters landing back at Cape Canaveral and the telescope separating successfully. The launch was a significant milestone for NASA, marking the first time a space telescope was named after a woman.

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