NASA's Roman Space Telescope reaches key milestone with optical assembly delivery

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has reached a key milestone with the delivery of its Optical Telescope Assembly to the Goddard Space Flight Center. This assembly will enhance research on dark matter and exoplanets ahead of its planned 2027 launch. The Optical Telescope Assembly features a primary mirror and nine additional mirrors designed to capture faint infrared light. It will allow the telescope to survey large areas of the sky much faster than the Hubble Space Telescope. Rigorous testing has been completed to ensure the telescope's performance in space conditions. The next phase involves integrating the assembly with the telescope's structure, and the project remains on schedule for its launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.