NASA Launches Roman Space Telescope, a Repurposed Spy Satellite

NASA's new flagship observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Sunday. The $4 billion telescope, originally built for a U.S. spy satellite program, is set to explore dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets over a planned five-year mission, with possible fuel for five more.

The telescope will travel to Lagrange Point 2, about a million miles from Earth, and begin science operations after a 90-day commissioning period. Its first high-resolution images are expected before the winter holidays, according to project manager Jackie Townsend.

Roman is designed to capture panoramic views of the universe, complementing the deep, narrow observations of the James Webb Space Telescope. Senior project scientist Julie McEnery noted that Roman has sensitivity and sharpness similar to Hubble but can survey the entire Milky Way in a month, a task that would take Hubble a century.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said Roman will become a household name alongside Hubble and Webb. During a post-launch news conference, President Donald Trump called in, praising the launch and referencing NASA's $24 billion budget.

The mission aims to create the most comprehensive 3D map of the universe, covering over two billion galaxies, to understand dark energy and dark matter. It will also conduct a broad exoplanet search, potentially discovering thousands of new worlds and providing a census of planetary systems like our own.