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Exploring Cosmology, Exoplanets, and Infrared Astrophysics at 100x the scale of Hubble

Delving into the mysteries of dark energy

The Roman Space Telescope will delve into the mystery of dark energy by studying how the distribution of galaxies and dark matter has changed throughout cosmic history.

Discovering thousands of exoplanets

The Roman Space Telescope will complete the statistical census of planetary systems in the galaxy by using microlensing, the universe’s own magnifying glass, to find thousands of exoplanets.

Leading future exoplanet missions

The Roman Space Telescope will use a technique called coronagraphy to block the glaring light of exoplanet host stars to directly see planets and planet-forming disks. The Coronagraph Instrument is an advanced technology demonstrator for future exoplanet missions.

Presentation videos from Shifting Landscapes in Astrophysics: New Frontiers to Explore with Roman are available on this YouTube playlist!

The Cycle 1 results have been announced! See the list of approved programs here.

Roman is set to launch on August 30, 2026!

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August 24th, 2026

NASA Sets Coverage for Roman Space Telescope Launch from Florida

Coverage plans are ready for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope prelaunch and launch activities. Roman is NASA’s next-generation observatory designed to explore some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, including dark energy. NASA and SpaceX are targeting Roman’s liftoff for no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch coverage begins at 6:20 a.m.

The Roman Space Telescope and IPAC

Caltech/IPAC hosts the Roman Science Support Center (SSC). The responsibilities of the SSC include Coronagraph Instrument operations, science level processing of spectroscopic and microlensing WFI data, General Astrophysics proposal and grants management, and community engagement. The SSC also curates up to date telescope and instrument parameters and Roman science simulations and tools for the scientific community.