NASA to launch telescope with field of view 100 times larger than Hubble
NASA to launch telescope with field of view 100 times larger than Hubble
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The telescope will be launched into space on August 30, 2026, aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This launch is taking place nine months ahead of schedule.
The main advantage of the new device is that its field of view is at least 100 times larger than that of the Hubble Telescope. At the same time, the level of image resolution will remain the same as Hubble.
During its operation, the telescope will record light from about 1 billion galaxies. This figure is significantly more than the amount of data collected by the Hubble Telescope during its 37 years of observations.
The spacecraft is equipped with two sets of scientific instruments:
* **Wide-Angle Camera** — designed to create infrared maps and search for exoplanets using gravitational microlenses.
* **Coronograph** — used to obtain direct images of distant worlds and planets.
The telescope will be located about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. The James Webb Telescope is currently operating there. The main goal of the mission is to reveal the nature of dark energy and dark matter and to compile a detailed catalog of planetary systems in the Milky Way.
The spacecraft is named in honor of NASA's first chief astronomer Nancy Grace Roman. She is known in the scientific community as the "mother of Hubble" for her significant contribution to the creation of the first orbital telescope.
The new telescope will complement the work of the James Webb Telescope, located at the same point. While James Webb is engaged in a detailed study of specific objects in the universe, the Nancy Roman telescope will analyze vast regions of the universe in a panoramic view.