On Sunday the Roman Space Telescope lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, marking another milestone in NASA’s series of Great Observatories.
The launch was conducted aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy that lifted off at 7:26 a.m. EDT (11:26 UTC) from Launch Complex 39A, placing the observatory safely into its intended Earth orbit.
At the heart of the telescope lies a mirror originally built for a reconnaissance satellite, matching the Hubble‑class specification and provided by the government. This optics system will enable the Roman Space Telescope to study distant galaxies, dark energy and exoplanets with unprecedented precision.
The mission carries an estimated budget of 4.3 billion US dollars and is expected to deliver data over several years that could fundamentally reshape our understanding of the universe. First scientific observations are anticipated after a several‑week commissioning phase.