NASA's Roman Space Telescope launches with BAE Systems-built scientific instruments
BAE Systems has announced the successful launch of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This telescope is the latest addition to NASA's astrophysics flagship observatories, following the Hubble and Webb telescopes, and will support critical discoveries in the field of astrophysics.
BAE Systems played a key role in the mission by designing and developing the Opto-Mechanical Assembly for the Wide Field Instrument (WFI), which is the primary scientific instrument on the Roman mission. The assembly provides a stable structure and thermal environment necessary for the WFI to achieve its performance requirements, featuring an optical bench, thermal control system, precision mechanisms, optics, and electronics. The company also contributed integration services and testing for the assembly.
"Today's launch of the Roman Space Telescope marks a significant achievement for furthering astrophysics discoveries," said Bonnie Patterson, vice president and general manager of Civil Space for BAE Systems. "Roman will provide unparalleled views of the cosmos, helping to advance our knowledge of the universe, the physics of our galaxy, and the demographics of exoplanets."
The Wide Field Instrument of the Roman Space Telescope is designed to have a field of view at least 100 times greater than that of the Hubble Space Telescope, enabling scientists to survey the sky up to 1,000 times faster. The telescope aims to study billions of cosmic objects, providing insights into the formation and development of planets, stars, and galaxies over time.
BAE Systems has a history of supporting NASA's astrophysics flagship missions, including the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. This support incorporates enhanced shared technologies that facilitate science and promote continued discovery through innovative instrument delivery.
Looking to the future, BAE Systems is also involved in NASA's next astrophysics flagship mission concept, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). This mission, which is in the early stages of development, aims to image Earth-like planets orbiting other stars while searching for signs of life. The observatory is expected to be equipped with advanced technology to explore not only exoplanets but also stars, the planets of our solar system, and different galaxies with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution.