🔭 Roman Telescope Activates Main Camera

While still traveling to its operating point, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope activated its Wide Field Instrument. Its 300-megapixel infrared camera covers more than the full Moon while retaining detail comparable to Hubble.

The 18 infrared detectors were cooled to −183°C. Engineers tested the filter and prism wheel in zero gravity and checked focus, with everything working as expected.

The coronagraph also passed initial checks. It blocks starlight so faint reflected light from nearby planets can be seen. Roman will study exoplanets, dark energy, and matter distribution, with first scientific images expected by early 2027.

📊@tech