NASA activates instruments on Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

NASA has begun the activation and calibration process for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as it travels toward the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2, located approximately 1 million kilometers from Earth. Engineers have successfully powered on the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) and the coronagraph, initiating a technical phase of testing and adjustment expected to last several months.

Key technical milestones include the cooling of detectors to approximately minus 183 degrees Celsius and the successful testing of the WFI's focus mechanism and filter wheel in microgravity. The WFI features a 300-megapixel infrared camera designed to map the distribution of matter and explore the effects of dark energy. Additionally, the telescope's coronagraph is designed to block intense starlight, allowing for the direct imaging of exoplanets and surrounding dust disks.

While initial test images have been received, they remain out of focus as the calibration continues. NASA expects to release the first fully calibrated observation images in early 2027. The telescope is slated for a five-year primary mission, with the potential for extension based on fuel levels.