NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 31, 2026 from Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

NASA said the telescope has a main mirror the same diameter as the Hubble Space Telescope, but its optics are designed to capture a field of view 100 times larger in each exposure.

The increased field of view results from a more curved primary mirror, a nearer secondary mirror, and a larger primary camera, according to NASA.

The spacecraft will travel to an orbit around the Sun, similar to the James Webb Space Telescope.

NASA expects the mission to operate for at least five years, collecting data on cosmic expansion and the distribution of planetary systems.