NASA awards the launch services contract for the Roman space telescope – Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex – Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex – NASA

NASA has awarded the NASA Launch Services (NLS) II contract to Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) in Hawthorne, California to provide launch service for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope mission. The Roman Space Telescope is the highest priority space mission recommended by the 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey. The total cost for NASA to launch the Roman telescope is approximately $255 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related costs. Currently, the telescope’s mission is targeted to launch in October 2026, as specified in the contract, on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The telescope’s science program includes research dedicated to addressing outstanding questions in cosmology, such as the effects of dark energy and dark matter, and the exploration of exoplanets. Roman also includes a major general research program to enable further study of astrophysical phenomena to advance other scientific goals. The telescope was previously named the Wide Field InfraRed Survey Telescope (WFIRST), but was later renamed in honor of Dr. Nancy Grace Roman for her extraordinary work at NASA, which paved the way for large space telescopes. . NASA’s Launch Services Program (at Kennedy) is responsible for managing SpaceX’s launch service launch vehicle program. The Roman Space Telescope project is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Original news (in English) Edition: R. Castro.