# NASA launches Roman telescope toward L2 orbit

_Published Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 10:06 AM EDT · Science, Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 1 — Major_

![nasa — Primary](https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/NHQ20260830_admin_0002/NHQ20260830_admin_0002~large.jpg)

NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center.

The observatory is on a three-month journey to the Sun-Earth L2 point, where it will undergo commissioning. NASA said it received spacecraft telemetry seven minutes after launch and confirmed deployment of Roman's solar panels and lower instrument sun shade. Its Wide Field Instrument is a 300-megapixel infrared camera, while the mission is designed to return 1.4 terabytes of data a day. NASA expects first images in early 2027.

## Sources

- [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-dark-universe-seeking-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launches/)
- [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/nasas-next-great-observatory-begins-mission-to-widen-our-view-of-the-universe/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/bvaKFsQvt5W37jy9LvCwgc
Published: 2026-08-30T14:06:20.256Z
Story chronology: 2026-08-30T11:26:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-14T22:37:20.566Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)