LaunchAugust 30, 2026 · updated August 30, 2026

NASA launches Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on Falcon Heavy

The observatory launched from Kennedy Space Center on a three-month journey to investigate dark energy, dark matter, and exoplanets.

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launch
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launch · NASA/John Kraus, Public domain (NASA)

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched at 7:26 a.m. EDT on Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft successfully separated from the Falcon Heavy upper stage following the completion of two second-stage engine burns.

The observatory is now traveling on a three-month, million-mile journey to its final operational orbit. Roman features a large field of view to scan the sky in visible and near-infrared light, aiming to explore dark energy, dark matter, and distant exoplanets.

See Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in the map