NASAs Roman telescope is cruising. Heres a look at the next 100 days.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launched on Sunday, August 30, is en route to a location about 1 million miles from Earth, near the second sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2. The telescope is expected to spend three months undergoing thorough testing and calibrations before deploying its instruments and commencing infrared observations of the cosmos.

Following a successful launch, Roman's first hours saw several critical maneuvers: the spacecraft turned to face its solar panels toward the sun for power, basic systems like power and communications were switched on, and controllers fired the engines to refine its trajectory toward L2.

Over the next 100 days, mission controllers will observe Roman unfold protective side panels and a sunshield to shield it from heat and light. They will also deploy a large antenna for transmitting scientific data back to Earth and conduct system tests to ensure all components function correctly in space.

Once in position, Roman will open its protective cover so its Wide Field Instrument, the main camera, can begin capturing panoramic infrared images. The Coronagraph Instrument, designed to block starlight to reveal nearby faint planets, will also be powered on.

These initial images and test runs will help engineers fine-tune the telescope's focus and ensure it's operating as expected. The three-month checkout period will overlap with Roman's journey to L2, with scientists running practice surveys to prepare for the full-scale observations during the telescope's five-year mission. The first official images from Roman are anticipated in early 2027, showcasing its capability to capture wide views of distant galaxies and search for hidden planets in the Milky Way's core.