NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Launches

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope successfully launched at 7:26 a.m. EDT aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Falcon Heavy's 27 Merlin engines produced over 5 million pounds of thrust, propelling the rocket rapidly away from the spaceport. The first stage comprised a central core and two side boosters, while the second stage, attached to the central core, housed the Roman observatory.

Roman's broad field of view and fast surveying abilities would enable scientists to map billions of galaxies, detect planets outside our solar system, study black holes, and generate vast amounts of daily data for astronomers to analyze. With its five-year mission, the telescope would provide an extensive window of opportunity for astronomers to conduct a wide range of scientific studies.

As the Falcon Heavy reached Max Q, the peak mechanical stress point, the side boosters detached, followed by the booster engine cutoff approximately two minutes later. The launch was available for live viewing at https://www.nasa.gov/live.