The NANCY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE: Endless Discoveries

We all know and love NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope that launched over 30 years ago and achieved many accomplishments- including helping us determine the age of the universe (13.7 billion years- that’s a lot of birthdays!), how planets are formed and so much more.

But like most things, there’s always room for improvement. NASA is currently working on their next-generation space telescope and is hoping to dive even deeper into the expanding universe to answer important questions surrounding dark energy, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics through improved Wide Field Instruments with field views 100 times greater than Hubble and high-contrast imaging. Data-gathering time is also said to decrease from Hubble’s 21 days to a quick 30 minutes, allowing for broader discovery. NASA is hoping to launch this new telescope, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, in the middle of our current decade.

Aside from simply advancing our understanding of the universe, the project is going to have a profound impact on the global space ecosystem with its $3.2 billion budget and?hundreds of companies from around the world participating. The findings uncovered by the Roman Space Telescope will provide resources for years’ worth of space missions and data that will be used for decades, making the space business a quickly growing industry to keep an eye on. From job creation and new research and data, the opportunities provided by this initiative seem to be limitless.

The Roman Space Telescope is named in honor of Nancy Grace Roman, NASA’s first chief astronomer known for her advocacy and leadership in furthering the study of our universe and pioneering space telescopes, earning her the title “Mother of Hubble.”

Roman was a visionary who brought astronomers and engineers together to realize the larger impact and opportunity of studying beyond the boundaries of planet Earth. As an inspiration for all people, especially women in science and space enthusiasts everywhere, Roman is well-deserving of this tribute, and we can’t wait to see what the Roman Space Telescope uncovers!

Interested in getting your company involved in space research in the PA, WV and OH areas? Connect with us on LinkedIn or visit keystonespace.org.