Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope facts for kids
Rendered model of the Roman Space Telescope
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| Names | Roman Roman Space Telescope (RST) Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM) |
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| Mission type | Infrared space telescope |
| Operator | NASA / GSFC |
| Mission duration | 5 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
| Launch mass | 4,166 kg (9,184 lb) |
| Dry mass | 4,059 kg (8,949 lb) |
| Payload mass | 2,191 kg (4,830 lb) (telescope & instruments) |
| Power | 2.5 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | October 2026 (contracted) – May 2027 (commitment) |
| Rocket | Falcon Heavy |
| Launch site | Kennedy LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Sun–Earth L2 orbit |
| Regime | Halo orbit |
| Perigee | 188,420 km (117,080 mi) |
| Apogee | 806,756 km (501,295 mi) |
| Main telescope | |
| Type | Three-mirror anastigmat |
| Diameter | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
| Focal ratio | f/7.9 |
| Wavelengths | 0.48–2.30 μm (Blue to Near-infrared) |
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Large Strategic Science Missions
Astrophysics Division |
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The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (often called Roman or RST) is a powerful infrared space telescope being built by NASA. It is planned to launch by May 2027. This amazing telescope is named after Nancy Grace Roman, who was a very important astronomer at NASA. She helped make many space telescopes possible.
The Roman Space Telescope uses a large 2.4-meter (7.9-foot) main mirror. This mirror helps it see a very wide area of space. It will carry two main science tools. The first is the Wide-Field Instrument (WFI). This camera has 300.8 megapixels and can see both visible and near-infrared light. It takes pictures that are as clear as those from the Hubble Space Telescope. But the WFI can see an area 100 times larger than Hubble's cameras!
The second tool is the Coronagraphic Instrument (CGI). This special camera helps block out the bright light from stars. This allows scientists to see faint objects very close to those stars, like planets orbiting them.
Roman's main goals are to find new planets and study dark energy. Dark energy is a mysterious force that makes the universe expand faster and faster. The telescope will also help us understand how the universe has grown and changed over time.
Scientists first suggested building Roman in 2010 as a top priority for astronomy. NASA officially approved its development in 2016. In 2020, NASA decided to name it after Nancy Grace Roman. The telescope is set to launch on a Falcon Heavy rocket between late 2026 and mid-2027.
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How the Roman Space Telescope Was Developed
The idea for the Roman Space Telescope came from earlier plans for a mission called the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM). This was a project between NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The first design in 2011–2012 used a smaller 1.3-meter (4.3-foot) telescope. It had only one instrument for imaging and studying light.
In 2012, NASA got a unique opportunity. The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) offered to donate two large telescopes. These telescopes were the same size as Hubble's main mirror. They had a wider view, which was perfect for Roman's goals. This donation gave the project a big boost. Even though the donated telescope was just one part of the mission, it helped move things forward. The Roman telescope now includes a special tool called a coronagraph. This tool helps scientists take direct pictures of exoplanets.
The Roman Space Telescope will orbit around a special spot in space called the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2. This spot is about 1.5 million kilometers (930,000 miles) away from Earth. It's a great place for a telescope because it offers stable temperatures and a clear view of space.
The main team building Roman is at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. In 2018, NASA signed a contract for the telescope's main optical part, called the Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA).
What Science Will Roman Do?
The Roman Space Telescope aims to answer big questions about the universe and exoplanets.
Understanding Dark Energy
Roman will help us learn more about dark energy. This mysterious force is causing the universe to expand faster. Roman will use three different ways to study dark energy:
- By looking at patterns in how galaxies are spread out.
- By observing very bright, distant supernovae (exploding stars).
- By studying how gravity bends light from faraway galaxies.
Finding New Exoplanets
Roman will search for many new exoplanets. This will help us understand how common planets like Earth are. It will also show us what kinds of planets exist far from their stars. Roman will use a technique called gravitational microlensing. This method can find planets as small as a few times the mass of our Moon. It can even find planets that float freely in space, not orbiting any star.
Imaging Exoplanets Directly
The coronagraph on Roman will be the first of its kind in space. It will take direct pictures and measure the light from giant planets orbiting nearby stars. This is a big step towards finding and studying Earth-like worlds in the future.
Discovering Black Holes
Roman might also help detect tiny primordial black holes. These are black holes that formed very early in the universe's history.
Roman's Instruments
The telescope has two main scientific instruments.
- WFI
- The Wide-Field Instrument (WFI) is a huge 300.8-megapixel camera. It takes pictures in visible and near-infrared light. It uses special filters to capture different colors of light. The WFI has a very wide view of space, covering 0.28 square degrees. This is like looking at a patch of sky about the size of two full Moons side-by-side. It uses 18 special detectors made by Teledyne. It can also split light into its different colors to study what objects are made of.
- CGI
- The Coronagraphic Instrument (CGI) is designed to block out the bright light from stars. This allows it to see faint planets orbiting those stars. It uses advanced mirrors to achieve this. The CGI is a test instrument. It will show scientists how to build even better tools for future missions. These future missions could directly image planets similar to Earth.
History of the Roman Space Telescope
In March 2020, NASA officially approved the Roman Space Telescope for construction. The estimated cost for development was about $3.2 billion.
On May 20, 2020, NASA announced the telescope would be named after Nancy Grace Roman. She was a pioneering astronomer who helped create NASA's space astronomy program.
In 2021, a report showed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused some delays and extra costs for the project. Despite this, Roman passed a major design review in September 2021. This meant its design was solid and ready for building. The launch date was set for no later than May 2027.
In July 2022, NASA announced that SpaceX would launch Roman on a Falcon Heavy rocket. The launch contract was for about $255 million.
In October 2024, the telescope successfully completed a big "spin test." This test checks how it handles forces during launch and in space.
In September 2024, the main body of the spacecraft, called the satellite bus, was mostly finished. In December, the science instruments and mirror were successfully put together onto a special frame.
How Roman Was Funded
The U.S. Congress has strongly supported the Roman Space Telescope. In 2014, Congress gave $56 million for the project. In 2015, they provided $50 million. For 2016, Congress gave $90 million, much more than NASA had asked for. This extra funding allowed the mission to officially begin its "formulation phase" in February 2016. At that time, the project was expected to cost over $2 billion.
In 2017, NASA reviewed the project to make sure costs were under control. They asked the team to reduce costs to meet a target of $3.2 billion. NASA announced in 2018 that changes had been made to meet this goal.
Some U.S. government proposals in 2018 and 2019 suggested cutting funding for Roman. However, many scientists and members of Congress disagreed. They pointed out that Roman was a top priority for astronomers. Congress continued to provide funding for Roman, ensuring its development would continue.
In November 2019, Roman completed another important design review. This confirmed the mission was on track for a 2025 launch at that time. However, funding shortfalls could still cause delays.
In April 2025, there was another proposal to cut funding for Roman. This was part of a larger plan to reduce NASA's science budget.
Who Is Building Roman?
The main team for the Roman project is at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. They manage the whole project and build the Wide-Field Instrument and the spacecraft itself.
The Coronagraphic Instrument is being built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Other groups, like the Space Telescope Science Institute and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, help with science operations.
International Partners
Several countries are helping NASA with the Roman Space Telescope. These include the French space agency CNES, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.
These partners are providing different parts and support for the mission. For example, Europe and Japan are helping with the coronagraph instrument. Germany is considering providing parts for the coronagraph's filter wheels. Japan also proposed adding a special module to study polarized light from exoplanets. Ground stations in Japan and Australia will help receive data from Roman.
Companies Involved
Several companies have contracts to build parts of Roman.
- In 2018, Ball Aerospace was chosen to build key parts for the Wide-Field Instrument.
- Teledyne Scientific and Imaging provides the special infrared detectors for the Wide-Field Instrument.
- In late 2018, Harris Corporation was awarded the contract for the Optical Telescope Assembly, which includes the main mirror.
Images for kids
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Scheme of the Roman Space Telescope
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Wide Field Instrument
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Roman's Wide Field Instrument focal plane Engineering Test Unit, containing 18 non-flight H4RG-10 detectors from Teledyne
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Optical Telescope Assembly
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The filters on the Coronagraph Instrument's Color Filter Assembly
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The focal plane mask for the Roman Coronagraph Instrument
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A simulated image of part of the Andromeda Galaxy
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This simulated image showcases the red and infrared light of more than 50 million stars in Andromeda, as they would appear with WFIRST
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A composite figure shows the region of Andromeda covered by the Roman Space Telescope simulation. Roman would be able to image the main body of Andromeda in just a few pointings, surveying the galaxy nearly 1500 times faster than Hubble.
See also
In Spanish: Telescopio espacial Nancy Grace Roman para niños
- Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Spitzer Space Telescope
- Xuntian
- Euclid - A European space telescope, also conducting a survey to study dark energy
