NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the latest NASA astrophysics flagship observatory supported by BAE Systems following the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope.
BAE Systems designed and developed the Opto-Mechanical Assembly for the Wide Field Instrument (WFI), the primary scientific instrument on the Roman mission. The assembly provides the stable structure and thermal environment required for the WFI to meet its performance requirements and includes the optical bench, thermal control system, precision mechanisms, optics and electronics. BAE Systems also provided 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 further advance our knowledge of the universe, the physics of our galaxy and the demographics of exoplanets.”
The Roman Space Telescope’s Wide Field Instrument will provide a field of view at least 100 times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing scientists to survey the sky up to 1,000 times faster. Roman will study billions of cosmic objects as scientists investigate how planets, stars and galaxies form and develop over time.
BAE Systems has supported every NASA astrophysics flagship mission from the Hubble Space Telescope through the James Webb Space Telescope. The missions complement Roman through shared technologies, supporting scientific research and continued discoveries through advanced instrument development and delivery.
Looking ahead, BAE Systems is also contributing to NASA’s next astrophysics flagship mission concept, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). The mission is in the early stages of development and would build on work from previous astrophysics programmes.
Through its Ultra-Stable Large Telescope Research and Analysis (ULTRA) studies, BAE Systems is developing a picometer-capable mirror actuation system designed to provide enhanced optical stability and performance.
The Habitable Worlds Observatory would focus on imaging Earth-like planets orbiting other stars and searching for signs of life. The observatory would also be equipped to study stars, planets within the solar system, different galaxies and the evolution of the universe with increased sensitivity and resolution.
