The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has reached the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A in Florida, bringing the mission closer to its planned launch on Aug. 30.
Roman began its overnight journey on Aug. 24 from the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, where it had been undergoing prelaunch processing since June. The telescope was transported inside the Falcon Heavy’s fairing by a monitored convoy to ensure its systems remained in normal condition.
In the coming days, teams will connect Roman to the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket inside the hangar. NASA’s Launch Services is overseeing the launch preparations. Roman will be the 4th primary payload launched on a Falcon Heavy, following Psyche, GOES-U and Europa Clipper. One of its side boosters previously flew on the GOES-U mission.
NASA, Roman and SpaceX teams will hold a Launch Readiness Review on Friday, Aug. 28, for the final “go/no go” decision ahead of the planned 7:26 a.m. EDT launch on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Launching 9 months earlier than scheduled, Roman is designed to provide a wider view of the universe and help answer major questions about its evolution. Once it reaches the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2, its wide field of view will allow it to capture large sections of the sky containing stars and galaxies.
The telescope will study dark energy, the force believed to be driving the universe’s accelerating expansion. It will also examine how galaxies form, cluster and evolve by tracing the effects of dark matter. In addition, Roman will discover and study planets beyond our solar system and help create a statistical picture of planetary systems in our galaxy.
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