Roman Space Telescope Prepared for Launch at SpaceX Hangar
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope was transported to the SpaceX hangar at Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, on August 25, 2026. This move marks a critical step in preparing the telescope for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
The telescope, encapsulated in its payload fairing, was moved from the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, where it underwent pre-launch processing. This included its encapsulation, completed on August 21, 2026.
A Launch Readiness Review is scheduled for August 28, 2026, to finalize the launch decision. The liftoff is planned for no earlier than August 30, 2026, at 7:26 a.m. EDT.
The Roman mission will be the fourth primary payload launched on a Falcon Heavy rocket, following previous missions such as Psyche and Europa Clipper. One of the rocket's side boosters was previously used in the GOES-U mission.
Upon launch, the telescope will travel to its operational orbit at the Sun-Earth L2 point. Its mission is to study dark energy, map dark matter distribution, and survey exoplanets across the galaxy.