On August 30, 2026, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It rode aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket and passed briefly in front of the Sun during ascent.
The observatory is named for Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer, who played a key role in planning the Hubble Space Telescope. Her legacy continues in this new survey instrument.
The Roman telescope features a field of view far exceeding that of Hubble, enabling it to observe billions of stars and galaxies in visible and near‑infrared wavelengths. Its primary goals include studying dark energy, exoplanet demographics, and the large‑scale structure of the cosmos.
By scanning large swaths of sky quickly, the mission will deliver deep, wide‑area surveys that complement existing observatories and provide a rich data set for the global astronomical community.