Check out NASA’s new space telescope

Key Points:

• NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will unveil the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope next week, a next-generation space telescope originally known as the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST).
• The Roman Space Telescope features a 2.4-meter primary mirror and advanced infrared observation capabilities, with key optics repurposed from the National Reconnaissance Office and built by L3Harris Technologies.
• The telescope is in final testing stages, expected to ship to Kennedy Space Center this summer, and will launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket as early as fall 2026.
• Designed for a nominal mission life of 5 to 10 years, the Roman Space Telescope includes robotic refueling capabilities and will complement the James Webb Space Telescope by surveying large sky areas to identify new objects for detailed JWST study.
• NASA’s Goddard will host the Roman’s Mission Operations Center, with ongoing team training to prepare for its mission, which aims to conduct three core surveys to explore fundamental astrophysical mysteries.