How to Watch NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Launch

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is preparing to begin its journey into space, with launch scheduled for August 30 no earlier than 7:26 a.m. ET. NASA’s live launch coverage is set to begin at 6:20 a.m. ET.

The mission recently reached an important milestone when NASA engineers completed a final inspection of Roman’s primary mirror in late May, confirming that it remained in good condition after undergoing extensive testing. In early June, NASA announced that the observatory would launch ahead of its previously planned September target.

Named after Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first Chief of Astronomy, the telescope honors the scientist who played a key role in planning and developing the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman was later known as the “Mother of Hubble” for her contributions to the mission.

The Roman Space Telescope is designed to offer an exceptionally broad view of the universe. Its field of view will be at least 100 times wider than Hubble’s, allowing scientists to survey much larger portions of the sky at once. One of its major objectives is to investigate dark energy using multiple observational techniques and improve scientists’ understanding of the mysterious force driving the universe’s accelerating expansion.

Roman will also contribute to the search for and study of exoplanets. Its technology includes a coronagraph designed to suppress the glare of stars, making it easier for scientists to observe faint objects orbiting them. These observations could provide valuable clues about how planetary systems form, what conditions support habitability and how common solar systems similar to our own may be.

The infrared observatory is currently enclosed inside a SpaceX Falcon Heavy payload fairing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It is scheduled to launch aboard a Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A.

If the August 30 launch attempt is postponed, NASA and SpaceX have another opportunity scheduled for August 31 at 7:22 a.m. ET. The launch can be watched live through NASA’s official coverage and SpaceX’s X account.

NASA will also host a mission science briefing on August 29 at 9 a.m. ET featuring members of the Roman Space Telescope team. A prelaunch news conference will follow as NASA provides additional updates ahead of the mission’s historic launch.