This article is for students in grades 5–8.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is a powerful new space observatory designed to study the universe on a huge scale. Roman will scan large areas of space to help scientists investigate dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets, and the history of the universe.
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Words to Know
Astrophysics: A branch of space science that uses physics and mathematics to study the universe.
Lagrange point: A location in space where the gravitational forces of two objects, such as the Sun and Earth, are balanced. A Lagrange point acts like an “orbital parking spot” where a spacecraft needs very little fuel to maintain its position.
Infrared light: A type of light that is invisible to human eyes but can be felt as heat. Its wavelengths are longer than visible red light and shorter than microwaves.
Dark energy: A mysterious form of energy that is causing the universe to expand at an increasing rate.
Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star outside our solar system.
Dark matter: Invisible matter that provides much of the gravitational force holding galaxies and other cosmic structures together.
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The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch on Aug. 30, 2026. A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will carry the telescope into space from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
After launch, the Roman Space Telescope will travel about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. It will orbit near the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, known as L2. This location will give Roman a clear, steady view of the universe.
Roman will study distant objects by observing infrared light. Infrared light can pass through some clouds of dust that block visible light, allowing astronomers to see deeper into space. The telescope’s primary mirror is 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) wide. A large mirror collects more light, helping Roman capture sharper images and reveal fainter objects.
The primary mirror will direct light to Roman’s two science instruments: the Wide Field Instrument and the Coronagraph Instrument.
The Wide Field Instrument is a 300-megapixel infrared camera. It will photograph enormous areas of the sky and allow scientists to look far back in time. Because light takes time to travel, light from distant galaxies shows what those galaxies looked like billions of years ago. These observations will help scientists understand how the universe expanded and how it may change in the future.
The Coronagraph Instrument will block the bright glare from stars so astronomers can study planets orbiting them. It is the most powerful coronagraph ever flown in space and may help scientists observe planets that are nearly a billion times fainter than their host stars.
Scientists will use the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to explore three major topics: dark energy, exoplanets, and dark matter.
Dark energy is one of the biggest mysteries in science. Scientists do not yet know what it is, but dark energy appears to make up about 68% of the universe. It is believed to be responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion. Some recent observations suggest that the effects of dark energy may change over time. Roman will collect information that could help scientists understand the true nature of dark energy.
Exoplanets are planets beyond our solar system. Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets, but they believe billions more may exist. Many known exoplanets are very different from the planets in our solar system. Roman could discover new and unusual worlds, including planets located in the habitable zone—the region around a star where conditions may allow liquid water to exist. Finding planets in habitable zones will help scientists search for worlds that are more like Earth.
Dark matter is invisible, but its gravity helps hold galaxies and galaxy clusters together. Scientists still do not know what dark matter is made of. Roman will look back through cosmic history to study how galaxies and galaxy clusters formed. If dark matter is made of heavy, slow-moving particles, it should gather into clumps quickly. If it is made of lighter, faster-moving particles, large structures may have taken longer to form. These observations could help scientists narrow down what dark matter might be and bring them closer to detecting it directly on Earth.
Nancy Grace Roman was NASA’s first chief astronomer and the agency’s first female executive. She strongly supported the development of the first space-based telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman helped guide important decisions about Hubble’s funding, design, construction, and scientific instruments. Because of her leadership, she became known as “the mother of the Hubble Space Telescope.”
Nancy Grace Roman was born on May 16, 1925, in Nashville, Tennessee. She died on Dec. 25, 2018.
More than 1,000 technicians and engineers assembled the Roman Space Telescope from millions of individual parts. Many different careers helped make this NASA mission possible.
Instrument technician: Instrument technicians install, calibrate, and maintain sensors and control systems. They also troubleshoot problems involving delicate equipment. This career often begins with an apprenticeship or hands-on training, and an associate’s degree may be required.
Mechanical engineer: Mechanical engineers design, build, test, and improve machines and mechanical systems. Their work is essential for creating and operating a complex observatory such as the Roman Space Telescope. Engineering careers require strong math, science, and problem-solving skills and usually require a college degree.
Astrophysicist: Astrophysicists use physics and mathematics to study how the universe began, how it changes, and how it works. Becoming an astrophysicist typically requires advanced college degrees.
NASA also needs photographers, managers, social media specialists, videographers, educators, and many other professionals. Learn about some of the people who helped create the Roman mission here.
Mission Website: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Source: www.nasa.gov