NASA has successfully launched its latest space observatory into orbit. Lifting off aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is officially on its way to deep space to help scientists unlock some of the universe’s greatest mysteries. It will be the same neighbourhood where the James Webb Space Telescope currently operates.
Named in honour of NASA’s first chief astronomer, the telescope is set to travel to a region about one million miles (1.6 million kilometres) away from Earth.
NASA is preparing to launch its next flagship space observatory — one scientists plan to use to investigate some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, including dark energy and dark matter, while also testing gravity at vast scales and hunting for planets beyond our solar system. Earlier reporting noted: NASA Launches $4 Billion Telescope Into Space To Study Cosmic Enigmas NASA Launches $4 Billion Telescope Into Space To Study Cosmic Enigmas NASA Launches $4 Billion Telescope Into Space To Study Cosmic Enigmas
“Roman will be a discovery machine that will bring us closer than ever before to answering humanity’s most profound questions about our cosmic history,” Nicky Fox, associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said. We’ll also measure how our universe has expanded over time,” she said.
Earlier reporting noted: What is the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope? Earlier reporting noted: “The survey will contain over two billion galaxies and enable us to study how the structures in our universe — the stars, the galaxies, the clusters of galaxies — grew and evolved.
“Now, Roman will give us a new atlas of the universe, push the boundaries of discovery, and demonstrate what is possible when America’s space program pairs bold ambition with disciplined execution. “With its large field of view and fast survey speeds, Roman will usher us into a new era of discovery and make the invisible visible, setting the foundation for humanity’s search for life beyond our solar system. Scientists hope to use this vast dataset to understand dark energy and dark matter, find hidden exoplanets, and by observing how massive objects bend light over immense distances, researchers will test whether Albert Einstein’s laws of gravity on a cosmic scale.
