The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s newest astrophysics observatory. The telescope will scan large sections of space. Roman will help astronomers answer questions about dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets, and more.

Image shows an illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope with a galaxy illustration in the background. Formerly known as WFIRST, is an upcoming space telescope designed to perform wide-field imaging and spectroscopy of the infrared sky.

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s newest space telescope that will study dark energy, exoplanets, and astrophysics.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

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Words to Know

Astrophysics: a branch of space science that applies physics and mathematics to study the universe.

Lagrange point: a position in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system, such as the Sun and Earth, are balanced. This point creates an “orbital parking spot” where minimal fuel is needed to maintain a spacecraft’s position.

Infrared light: light that is completely invisible to the human eye but can be felt as heat. It’s the area on the electromagnetic spectrum where wavelengths are longer than visible red light, but shorter than microwaves.

Dark energy: the mysterious force that is causing the universe to expand at an accelerated rate.

Exoplanet: a planet outside of our solar system.

Dark matter: the mysterious gravitational “glue” that holds cosmic structures together.

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When and Where Will the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launch?

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch Aug. 30, 2026. It will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. Liftoff will take place from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Where Will the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Go in Space?

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will orbit about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth. It will orbit around a special place in space called the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2. This gravitational sweet spot is perfect for unobstructed views of the universe.

What Instruments Does the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Have?

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will peer through dust and across vast stretches of space using infrared light. Roman’s primary mirror is 7.9 feet (2.4 meters) across. The large surface of the telescope mirror gathers lots of light. More light equals finer details.

The primary mirror will send light to Roman’s two science instruments: the Wide Field Instrument and the Coronagraph Instrument.

The Wide Field Instrument is a 300-megapixel infrared camera. It allows scientists to look very far back in time because the light captured by the camera has been traveling for billions of years before reaching the instrument. Seeing the universe in its early stages will help unravel how it has expanded throughout its history. This will give scientists hints about how the universe may continue to evolve.

The Coronagraph Instrument uses technology that blocks the glare from a star. This lets astronomers see planets in orbit around it. This instrument is the most powerful coronagraph ever flown in space. It will allow astronomers to see planets that are almost a billion times fainter than their host star.

On Nov. 25, 2025, technicians joined the inner and outer segments together and the observatory was complete.

NASA / Sydney Rohde

What Will Scientists Study With the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope?

Scientists using the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will focus on three main topic areas: dark energy, exoplanets, and dark matter.

Dark energy is a mysterious part of the universe. Scientists aren’t sure what it is, but it makes up about 68% of the universe’s total contents. It is believed to be responsible for the accelerating rate at which our universe is expanding. But recent observations seem to show that the pressure from dark energy is shifting over time. Scientists hope to use the Roman Space Telescope to help solve the mystery of dark energy’s true nature.

Exoplanets are planets outside of our solar system. Scientists have discovered more than 6,000 exoplanets. But they believe that billions could exist. Most of the exoplanets detected so far are wildly different than the planets in our solar system. Scientists expect Roman to find more unusual exoplanets. It will also allow astronomers to find planets in the habitable zone of their stars. This will be key to finding planets similar to Earth.

Dark matter is the invisible glue that holds the universe together. Scientists aren’t sure what dark matter is made of. Roman will allow scientists to peer back in time to trace how galaxies and galaxy clusters formed. If dark matter consists of heavy, sluggish particles, it would clump together readily and Roman should see galaxy formation early in cosmic history. If dark matter is made up of lighter, faster-moving particles, it should take longer to settle into clumps and for large-scale structures to develop. If astronomers can narrow down the candidates for dark matter particles, we’ll be one step closer to finally detecting them directly in experiments on Earth.

Who Was Nancy Grace Roman?

Nancy Grace Roman was NASA’s first chief astronomer and the first female executive at the agency. Roman championed the making of the first space-based telescope — the Hubble Space Telescope. She was involved in every crucial decision about the telescope from its funding to where it was built to the details of its instruments. Her vital role in making the project a reality led her to be known as “the mother of the Hubble Space Telescope.”

Roman was born May 16, 1925, in Nashville, Tennessee. She died Dec. 25, 2018.

Portrait of astronomer Nancy Grace Roman holding papers and looking up at a board with information on it

Nancy Grace Roman was NASA’s first chief astronomer. She is knows as “the mother of the Hubble Space Telescope.”

NASA

Career Corner

More than a thousand technicians and engineers assembled Roman from millions of individual components. Here are a few examples of the careers that shaped NASA’s newest space telescope:

Instrument technician: These experts install, calibrate, and maintain sensors and control systems. They troubleshoot issues that might come up with delicate systems and equipment. This career path often starts with an apprenticeship or hands-on training alongside experienced technicians. An associate’s degree is often required.

Mechanical engineer: This branch of engineering focuses on complex machines and engines. Mechanical engineers design, build, test, and improve mechanical systems. They play an essential role in making a complex observatory like the Roman Space Telescope a reality. A career in engineering demands a strong understanding of math and complex problem-solving and usually requires an advanced college degree.

Astrophysicist: These scientists study the physics of the universe. They are interested in learning how the universe began, how it is evolving, and how it works. Becoming an astrophysicist requires advanced college degrees.

NASA also needs people who work in photography, management, social media, videography, and much more. Learn about some of the people who have made the Roman mission possible here!

More About the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Mission Website: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Video Game: Roman Space Observer

Roman Space Telescope Education and Outreach Materials

NASA Completes Astronaut-Deployed Science Instrument for Lunar Surface

2026-08-11 19:41

Rectangular box-shaped device resting on a metal table. The front face is covered with a grid of many small black rectangular panels bordered in white. Metal components, brackets, and small box units are mounted along the top. The background shows a large windowed wall with a blurred American flag and an Artemis flag visible behind the device.

The fully-integrated LEMS (Lunar Environment Monitoring Station) ready for environmental testing. A small suitcase-size instrument suite built at NASA Goddard, LEMS is designed to carry out continuous, long-term monitoring of the seismic environment at the Moon, including surface motion caused by moonquakes and meteorite impacts in the lunar south polar region.

NASA Goddard

NASA has declared “wrenches down” on the first completed payload designed for Artemis astronauts to deploy on the Moon’s surface. Engineers working on NASA’s Lunar Environment Monitoring Station, or LEMS, have completed hardware development and testing and the payload is ready for its permanent home near the lunar South Pole. With the hardware complete, LEMS is ready to support one of the Artemis program’s core goals: enabling sustained lunar science and exploration.

The LEMS instrument package contains two highly sensitive seismometers that will monitor ground vibrations from moonquakes and meteorite impacts, providing scientists with insights into the Moon’s interior and the seismic hazards astronauts might encounter at the surface. Its modular design allows the system to be adapted or expanded to host new instruments in the future, creating a reusable platform that can evolve as scientific priorities grow.

The payload will remain in a clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, where it was built, until it is assigned to an Artemis mission for deployment to the lunar surface.

“The completion of the LEMS scientific instrument is a major step in a new era of lunar surface science. Innovative science experiments will uncover, measure, and reveal the Moon’s secrets while astronauts open new frontiers for discovery,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “And, behind the scenes, countless teams across NASA and our partners are pushing the boundaries of what surface instruments can do, building the tools that will make future exploration possible and safer.”

An astronaut in a white spacesuit kneels in simulated lunar soil while working with scientific equipment in a large testing facility. Staff members and support structures are visible in the background.

A scientist wearing NASA’s xEMU prototype space suit is testing the handling of a mockup version of NASA’s Lunar Environment Monitoring Station, or LEMS. The testing took place at the Active Response Gravity Offload System, a simulated reduced gravity environment at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA Johnson

The LEMS payload builds on a legacy of lunar seismic tracking. Apollo astronauts deployed a network of seismometers on the Moon’s nearside equatorial region between 1969 and 1972. Those instruments operated until 1977, recording about 13,000 moonquakes and other ground vibrations that helped scientists begin to understand the composition of the Moon’s interior. For decades, researchers have hoped to spread more seismometers, updated with new technologies, across the lunar surface.

Now, LEMS will carry the first seismometers to be deployed by future astronauts to listen for faint ground vibrations, collecting new clues to the Moon’s internal structure and ongoing seismic activity. The sensors will be the most compact, sensitive, and energy-efficient seismometers ever built for planetary exploration.

LEMS itself is about the size of a small suitcase, weighing 11 pounds in the Moon’s low-gravity environment. It will carry not just these seismic sensors, but everything it needs to function independently of humans after deployment. LEMS is built to manage its own power production via a lightweight, flexible solar array that conforms to the shape of the LEMS unit. It also will manage its operational activities to ensure continuous data collection based on a preset plan, and monthly data transmission to Earth. The payload will do all this while maintaining a stable internal temperature throughout the massive day-to-night temperature swings of the South Pole region.

A technician in a white clean-room suit and blue gloves uses a small flashlight to inspect a spacecraft instrument inside a dark testing chamber. Colorful wires and metallic components surround the instrument.

Mechanical Engineer Brie Ludwig inspects the Lunar Environment Monitoring Station (LEMS) in preparation for testing in a thermal vacuum chamber at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on March 31, 2026. LEMS is a compact, autonomous, and self-sustaining seismometer suite designed to carry out continuous, long-term monitoring of the lunar seismic environment at the South Polar region.

NASA/Denny Henry

“When we conceived of LEMS, we weren’t just thinking about the next mission, we were thinking about the next generation of lunar exploration,” said Mehdi Benna, a University of Maryland Baltimore County scientist who leads LEMS from NASA Goddard. “Our vision was to create a scientific buoy for the Moon. Like an ocean buoy on Earth, LEMS is designed to be easy to build, adaptable to different scientific objectives, and capable of operating independently for years.”

Before any surface science could happen, Benna and his team had to ensure that LEMS could survive the trip to the Moon and the harsh environment of its surface. Over the past five months, LEMS and its components have been subjected to a demanding series of environmental and operational tests. Engineers verified LEMS can endure the violent shaking of launch, the journey to the lunar surface, and the Moon’s temperature and radiation environment. The team also showed that the instrument package’s mechanical and electrical design is safe for astronaut handling.

The LEMS payload was built to operate through the lunar night, which lasts two Earth weeks, without external power assistance or a heat source. Past lunar surface instruments relied on radioisotope heaters for warmth and power. But LEMS instead will withstand temperatures that dip to minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas by using advanced insulation materials, low-thermal-conductivity cables that minimize heat loss, and a thermal regulator that conducts heat away during the day to prevent overheating and helps retain heat at night.

These innovations reduce mass and power needs, setting the stage for lighter, energy-efficient instruments that can operate continuously at future Artemis landing sites and the NASA-led Moon Base.

The LEMS payload is led by University of Maryland Baltimore County and University of Maryland College Park. Technical implementation is led by NASA Goddard. The University of Arizona, in partnership with Silicon Audio, Inc., supplied LEMS’ two state-of-the-art seismometers. Morehead State University in Kentucky provided LEMS’ telecommunication system and will operate the instrument on the surface. Washington University in St. Louis will manage the instrument’s data processing and dissemination to the larger scientific community.

Lion Nebula Roars in Webb’s Sights

2026-08-11 17:02

JWST’s Near Infrared Camera and Mid Infrared Instrument combined image of planetary nebula NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, against the black background of space. The nebula is at center, circular in shape, and looks like a male lion’s head. In the center is a small, pinkish-white circle with eight-point diffraction spikes, a white dwarf star. Surrounding the star are purple-pink cavernous bubbles and shell-like rings. The bubbles and shells collectively form an oval with two small, wide arcs near the top, reminiscent of a lion’s face and its ears. What appears to be extended outward from the lion’s face is a thick ring of purple-blue material. The width of the ring is consistent throughout and resembles a mane. The area closest to the lion’s face looks cloudy, while the edges of the mane look like there are clumps of dust with comet-like tails. In the background are distant galaxies and stars. Some galaxies are yellow and orange points of light and others have spiral structures. Some stars have diffraction spikes.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope imaged the planetary nebula NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, using the observatory’s NIRCam and MIRI instruments. The central star’s remains are responsible for the nebula’s structure, including a lion face-shaped bubble of ionized gas and dust “mane.”

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Observing across the starry “plains” of space, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has taken new images of NGC 2392, nicknamed the Lion Nebula. The nebula’s “mane” is clear and detailed in this image released on Aug. 10, 2026, due to Webb’s high-resolution imaging.

See more images of the Lion Nebula from Webb.

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

NASA Telescopes Create Colorful ‘Craft’ From Nearby Nebula

2026-08-11 15:19

4 Min Read

NASA Telescopes Create Colorful ‘Craft’ From Nearby Nebula

This multiwavelength image of the Tarantula Nebula, one of the brightest and largest regions of star formation to Earth, shows X-rays from Chandra that reveal gas that has been blown away in winds from the surfaces of young, massive stars and heated to millions of degrees by shock waves, like sonic booms from supersonic jets. The infrared data from Webb shows thousands of young stars, plus swaths of cool dust that will provide the ingredients to one day form new stars and planets. Hubble optical data uncovers hydrogen gas that is warmer than seen with Webb, as well as some individual stars through the nebula.

Like a collage made of layered sheets of colored cellophane, a vibrant new image layers observations of a famous star-forming nebula from NASA space telescopes. The resulting cosmic “craft” reveals new details about the star formation region known as 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula.

Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small neighbor galaxy to the Milky Way about 160,000 light-years from Earth, the Tarantula has thousands of young stars embedded in a vibrant honeycomb-like structure of gas and dust.

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Ohio State Univ./J. Rodriguez et al; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/P. Edmonds

Like a collage made of layered sheets of colored cellophane, a vibrant new image layers observations of a famous star-forming nebula from NASA space telescopes. The resulting cosmic “craft” reveals new details about the star formation region known as 30 Doradus, or the Tarantula Nebula.

Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small neighbor galaxy to the Milky Way about 160,000 light-years from Earth, the Tarantula has thousands of young stars embedded in a vibrant honeycomb-like structure of gas and dust.

The new composite image contains X-rays from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has repeatedly observed the Tarantula Nebula over the course of its mission, in the layer that appears in blue. The X-ray data reveals gas blown away by winds from the surfaces of young, massive stars and heated to millions of degrees by shock waves, like sonic booms from supersonic jets.

The red represents infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope showing thousands of young stars, plus swaths of cool dust that will provide the ingredients to form new stars and planets. Optical data in the green layer from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope uncovers hydrogen gas that is warmer than seen with Webb, as well as some individual stars through the nebula.

The composite image shows the full Hubble and Webb images of this region, as well as a large section of the Chandra image, all recently published in a research paper in the Astrophysical Journal. In some regions the blue Chandra layer stands alone, and in others it combines with either the red Webb data or the green Hubble data. In the middle region all three images overlap to provide a holistic view in red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.

Previously, astronomers had studied the amount and the impact of energy produced by winds from young, massive stars in the Tarantula Nebula. Scientists expect that much of this energy should heat gas so that it produces X-rays. However, the research paper shows that there is much less X-ray-emitting gas in the nebula than expected. This led researchers to ask: Where has this energy gone and what tamed the Tarantula Nebula?

By studying the data from Chandra, Hubble, and Webb, combined with data from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, the team concluded the Tarantula may be losing energy from several sources.

First, up to half of the hot gas is leaking through the shell walls of the gas and dust structures and escaping the nebula. Next, there is stirring and mixing between the cold gas near the shell walls and some of the hot gas, lowering the overall temperature of the gas. Finally, comparisons with computer simulations suggest the Tarantula may be losing energy through conduction. This involves direct physical contact between hot and cooler material, like with a frying pan on a burner, causing the hot and cooler material to equalize in temperature. In the case of the Tarantula Nebula, the hot gas would be conducting heat by being in direct contact with the cooler gas in the shells, especially in the densest regions. This scenario does not necessarily involve mixing the hot and cooler gas.

The combination of these three channels for losing large amounts of energy leads to this colorful and complex display revealed by NASA’s telescopes working together.

Tarantula Nebula / 30 Doradus, cropped version.

X-ray: NASA/CXC/Ohio State Univ./J. Rodriguez et al; Infrared: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI; Optical: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/P. Edmonds

The paper describing these results was led by Jennifer Rodriguez of The Ohio State University in Columbus. Additional authors on the paper include Laura Lopez, Ohio State; Lachlan Lancaster, Columbia University in New York City; Anna Rosen, San Diego State University; Omnaraynai Nayak, Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; Sebastian Lopez, Ohio State; Tyler Holland-Ashford, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; and Trinity Webb, Ohio State.

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Chandra X-ray Center controls science operations from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts.

To learn more about Chandra, visit:

https://nasa.gov/chandra

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Building the Moon Base: NASA Stories at the Ion

2026-08-11 14:16

4 Min Read

Building the Moon Base: NASA Stories at the Ion

Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program, gives a presentation during NASA Stories at the Ion in Houston on July 30, 2026.

Credits: NASA/Sumer Loggins

Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program, gives a presentation during NASA Stories at the Ion in Houston on July 30, 2026.

NASA/Sumer Loggins

As NASA prepares to return astronauts to the lunar surface for longer stays and increasingly complex operations, building the Moon Base will require new ideas, advanced technologies, and expertise across many fields.

During NASA Stories at the Ion on July 30, Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program, presented “Building the Moon Base: Challenges and Opportunities at the Lunar South Pole.” He discussed the work required to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon.

Through its growing partnership with Rice University and the Ion, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston hosts recurring talks connecting agency experts with entrepreneurs, researchers, students, and industry leaders. The series gives Houston’s innovation community a closer look at the people and ideas shaping the future of exploration.

Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program, presents during NASA Stories at the Ion. At left is Laura Neder, head of platform for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Ion District.

NASA/Sumer Loggins

Laura Neder, head of platform for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Ion District, welcomed attendees and introduced Monte Goforth, acting director of Business Development and Technology Integration at Johnson. Goforth delivered opening remarks on the value of sharing NASA’s work beyond the agency and bringing people together to support future exploration before introducing Bhakta.

Bhakta outlined how NASA is working toward long-duration human exploration of the lunar South Pole through the agency’s Moon Base Program.

As part of that effort, NASA is taking a step-by-step approach to Moon Base development. Early robotic missions and technology demonstrations will help NASA gather data about the lunar environment, test systems, and reduce risks before expanding infrastructure and human operations.

“This is probably going to be the most challenging endeavor NASA has ever undertaken,” Bhakta said.

Meeting that challenge will require collaboration between NASA and its commercial and international partners to develop solutions for operating in extreme environmental conditions.

Unlike the Apollo landing sites, areas near the lunar South Pole contain steep slopes, deep craters, and lighting conditions that change throughout the year. The Sun remains low on the horizon, creating shifting shadows that can complicate navigation and leave solar panels without sunlight for extended periods, increasing the need for energy storage and other power sources.

Because of the region’s rugged terrain, crews, rovers, and other surface systems may not always have a clear line of sight to Earth. NASA will need communications infrastructure to relay signals across the lunar South Pole.

Bhakta explained that Moon Base may not be a single cluster of connected structures. Terrain, lighting, power, and landing constraints could require habitats and other systems to be distributed across the lunar surface.

Attendees listen as Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program, discusses the challenges of establishing a sustained human presence at the Moon.

NASA/Sumer Loggins

Lunar regolith, or Moon dust, remains one of the greatest challenges. Without mitigation, the sharp and clingy substance could damage equipment and spacesuits while posing health risks to astronauts. Its electrostatic properties can also change depending on lighting and environmental conditions.

Understanding how lunar regolith behaves will be essential to ensuring crews can safely live and work on the lunar surface.

Some permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole may not have received direct sunlight for billions of years and may contain water ice and other volatile materials. These resources could support future exploration, but using them will require new mobility, power, and processing systems.

The Moon will also serve as a proving ground for missions farther into the solar system. Operating on the lunar surface will help NASA learn how crews, equipment, and infrastructure perform away from Earth before future human missions to Mars.

As NASA develops these capabilities, Bhakta explained that keeping the Moon Base architecture adaptable will require understanding how individual systems connect and work together.

“Don’t deal with the technology directly,” Bhakta said. “Deal with the interfaces.”

From left, Monte Goforth, acting director of Business Development and Technology Integration at NASA’s Johnson Space Center; Shatel Bhakta, principal systems engineer for NASA’s Moon Base Program; and Laura Neder, head of platform for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Ion District, pose during NASA Stories at the Ion.

NASA/Sumer Loggins

Building the Moon Base will take more than engineers and scientists. NASA will need communicators, business professionals, researchers, and people from many other fields to help solve problems and share the agency’s work.

“There are many ways to contribute,” Bhakta said. “Don’t be afraid that your skill set does not fit in.”

Moon Base build-up will offer multiple entry points for industry and international collaborators to participate, innovate, and contribute. From early demonstrations to long-term surface operations, there are multiple solicitations currently open.

Find more information at:

www.nasa.gov/moonbase-solicitations