NASA to launch Roman Space Telescope and execute Swift satellite rescue in 2026

NASA is preparing to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on 30 August 2026 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy. The telescope will travel to the L2 point and will be the first to carry an active coronagraph for direct imaging of exoplanets, a capability aimed at identifying Earth‑like worlds.

In parallel, NASA is conducting a rescue operation for the 22‑year‑old Swift space telescope, whose orbit is decaying toward Earth. The privately built robotic spacecraft LINK, launched on 3 July from the Marshall Islands on a Pegasus XL, will rendezvous with Swift, capture it with three robotic arms, and gradually raise its orbit over several months. After the lift‑up, Swift’s instruments will be re‑activated, restoring its gamma‑ray burst detection capabilities.