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By NASA
The telescope and instruments for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope were recently integrated together on the observatory’s instrument carrier at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Next, the entire system will be joined to the Roman spacecraft. NASA/Chris Gunn NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully integrated the mission’s telescope and two instruments onto the instrument carrier, marking the completion of the Roman payload. Now the team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will begin joining the payload to the spacecraft.
“We’re in the middle of an exciting stage of mission preparation,” said Jody Dawson, a Roman systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “All the components are now here at Goddard, and they’re coming together in quick succession. We expect to integrate the telescope and instruments with the spacecraft before the year is up.”
Engineers first integrated the Coronagraph Instrument, a technology demonstration designed to image exoplanets — worlds outside our solar system — by using a complex suite of masks and active mirrors to obscure the glare of the planets’ host stars.
Then the team integrated the Optical Telescope Assembly, which includes a 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) primary mirror, nine additional mirrors, and their supporting structures and electronics. The telescope will focus cosmic light and send it to Roman’s instruments, revealing billions of objects strewn throughout space and time. Roman will be the most stable large telescope ever built, at least 10 times more so than NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and 100 times more than the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope. This will allow scientists to make measurements at levels of precision that can answer important questions about dark energy, dark matter, and worlds beyond our solar system.
Technicians install the primary instrument for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, called the Wide Field Instrument (at left), in the biggest clean room at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This marked the final step to complete the Roman payload, which also includes a Coronagraph instrument and the Optical Telescope Assembly.NASA/Chris Gunn With those components in place, the team then added Roman’s primary instrument. Called the Wide Field Instrument, this 300-megapixel infrared camera will give Roman a deep, panoramic view of the universe. Through the Wide Field Instrument’s surveys, scientists will be able to explore distant exoplanets, stars, galaxies, black holes, dark energy, dark matter, and more. Thanks to this instrument and the observatory’s efficiency, Roman will be able to image large areas of the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble with the same sharp, sensitive image quality.
“It would be quicker to list the astronomy topics Roman won’t be able to address than those it will,” said Julie McEnery, the Roman senior project scientist at NASA Goddard. “We’ve never had a tool like this before. Roman will revolutionize the way we do astronomy.”
The telescope and instruments were mounted to Roman’s instrument carrier and precisely aligned in the largest clean room at Goddard, where the observatory is being assembled. Now, the whole assembly is being attached to the Roman spacecraft, which will deliver the observatory to its orbit and enable it to function once there.
At the same time, the mission’s deployable aperture cover — a visor that will shield the telescope from unwanted light — is being joined to the outer barrel assembly, which serves as the telescope’s exoskeleton.
“We’ve had an incredible year, and we’re looking forward to another one!” said Bear Witherspoon, a Roman systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “While the payload and spacecraft undergo a smattering of testing together, the team will work toward integrating the solar panels onto the outer barrel assembly.”
That keeps the observatory on track for completion by fall 2026 and launch no later than May 2027.
To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit:
https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech/IPAC in Southern California, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Media Contact:
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
301-286-1940
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Last Updated Dec 12, 2024 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Dark Energy Dark Matter Exoplanets Galaxies Galaxies, Stars, & Black Holes Goddard Space Flight Center Hubble Space Telescope James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Stars The Universe Explore More
6 min read Primary Instrument for Roman Space Telescope Arrives at NASA Goddard
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
An artist’s concept of NASA’s Europa Clipper shows the spacecraft in silhouette against Europa’s surface, with the magnetometer boom fully deployed at top and the antennas for the radar instrument extending out from the solar arrays.NASA/JPL-Caltech Headed to Jupiter’s moon Europa, the spacecraft is operating without a hitch and will reach Mars in just three months for a gravity assist.
NASA’s Europa Clipper, which launched Oct. 14 on a journey to Jupiter’s moon Europa, is already 13 million miles (20 million kilometers) from Earth. Two science instruments have deployed hardware that will remain at attention, extending out from the spacecraft, for the next decade — through the cruise to Jupiter and the entire prime mission.
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launched it away from Earth’s gravity, and now the spacecraft is zooming along at 22 miles per second (35 kilometers per second) relative to the Sun.
Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft NASA has ever developed for a planetary mission. It will travel 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) to arrive at Jupiter in 2030 and in 2031 will begin a series of 49 flybys, using a suite of instruments to gather data that will tell scientists if the icy moon and its internal ocean have the conditions needed to harbor life.
For now, the information mission teams are receiving from the spacecraft is strictly engineering data (the science will come later), telling them how the hardware is operating. Things are looking good. The team has a checklist of actions the spacecraft needs to take as it travels deeper into space. Here’s a peek:
Boom Times
Shortly after launch, the spacecraft deployed its massive solar arrays, which extend the length of a basketball court. Next on the list was the magnetometer’s boom, which uncoiled from a canister mounted on the spacecraft body, extending a full 28 feet (8.5 meters).
To confirm that all went well with the boom deployment, the team relied on data from the magnetometer’s three sensors. Once the spacecraft is at Jupiter, these sensors will measure the magnetic field around Europa, both confirming the presence of the ocean thought to be under the moon’s icy crust and telling scientists about its depth and salinity.
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This animation shows how the boom of Europa Clipper’s magnetometer deployed — while the spacecraft was in flight — to its full length of 28 feet (8.5 meters). NASA/JPL-Caltech On the Radar
After the magnetometer, the spacecraft deployed several antennas for the radar instrument. Now extending crosswise from the solar arrays, the four high-frequency antennas form what look like two long poles, each measuring 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long. Eight rectangular very-high-frequency antennas, each 9 feet (2.76 meters) long, were also deployed — two on the two solar arrays.
“It’s an exciting time on the spacecraft, getting these key deployments done,” said Europa Clipper project manager Jordan Evans of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Most of what the team is focusing on now is understanding the small, interesting things in the data that help them understand the behavior of the spacecraft on a deeper level. That’s really good to see.”
Instrument Checkout
The remaining seven instruments will be powered on and off through December and January so that engineers can check their health. Several instruments, including the visible imager and the gas and dust mass spectrometers, will keep their protective covers closed for the next three or so years to guard against potential damage from the Sun during Europa Clipper’s time in the inner solar system.
Mars-Bound
Once all the instruments and engineering subsystems have been checked out, mission teams will shift their focus to Mars. On March 1, 2025, Europa Clipper will reach Mars’ orbit and begin to loop around the Red Planet, using the planet’s gravity to gain speed. (This effect is similar to how a ball thrown at a moving train will bounce off the train in another direction at a higher speed.) Mission navigators already have completed one trajectory correction maneuver, as planned, to get the spacecraft on the precise course.
At Mars, scientists plan to turn on the spacecraft’s thermal imager to capture multicolored images of Mars as a test operation. They also plan to collect data with the radar instrument so engineers can be sure it’s operating as expected.
The spacecraft will perform another gravity assist in December 2026, swooping by Earth before making the remainder of the long journey to the Jupiter system. At that time, the magnetometer will measure Earth’s magnetic field, calibrating the instrument.
More About Europa Clipper
Europa Clipper’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. APL designed the main spacecraft body in collaboration with JPL and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall executes program management of the Europa Clipper mission. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy, managed the launch service for the Europa Clipper spacecraft.
Find more information about Europa Clipper here:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper
8 Things to Know About Europa Clipper Europa Clipper Teachable Moment NASA’s Europa Clipper Gets Its Giant Solar Arrays Kids Can Explore Europa With NASA’s Space Place News Media Contacts
Gretchen McCartney
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-287-4115
gretchen.p.mccartney@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Nov 25, 2024 Related Terms
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By NASA
3 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Diana Oglesby’s love for NASA began long before she started working for the agency. A native of Decatur, Texas, Oglesby knew at the age of eight that she would make NASA her future destination. That dream became a reality when Oglesby joined the agency, first as an intern and later as a NASA full-time employee, marking the beginning of a career that would span over two decades.
From left, Richard Jones, CCP (Commercial Crew Program) deputy program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; Steve Stich, program manager for CCP; Dana Hutcherson, CCP deputy program manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and Diana Oglesby, director, Strategic Integration and Management Division, Space Operations Mission Directorate, pose with the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission flag near the countdown clock at the NASA News Center at the Kennedy on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.NASA/Cory S Huston Oglesby currently serves as director of the Strategic Integration and Management Division within NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. The division plays a key role in ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of space operations, providing essential business support such as programmatic integration, strategic planning, information technology and cybersecurity leadership, stakeholder outreach, and administrative services.
Before her current role, Oglesby led the business management function for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She had a front-row seat to history during NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission, which successfully launched astronauts to the International Space Station in the first commercially built and operated American rocket and spacecraft, marking a significant milestone in NASA’s space exploration efforts.
“It was an honor of a lifetime,” she says, reflecting on her role in this historic achievement.
Oglesby’s ability to foster teamwork and genuine care for others has been a hallmark of her career, whether serving in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program or now guiding the Strategic Integration and Management Division.
While reflecting on her new role as division director, Oglesby is most excited about the people. As someone who thrives on diverse activities and complex challenges, she looks forward to the strategic aspects of her role and the opportunity to lead a dynamic team helping to shape NASA’s future.
The future is bright. We are actively building the future now with each choice as part of the agency's strategic planning and transition from current International Space Station operations to the new commercial low Earth orbit destinations.
Diana Oglesby
Director, Strategic Integration and Management Division, Space Operations Mission Directorate
“The future is bright,” said Oglesby. “We are actively building the future now with each choice as part of the agency’s strategic planning and transition from current International Space Station operations to the new commercial low Earth orbit destinations.”
While Oglesby is deeply committed to her work, she also believes in “work-life harmony” rather than a work-life balance, by giving her attention to the sphere of life she is currently in at that moment in time. She remains ever focused on harmonizing between her NASA duties and her life outside of work, including her three children. Oglesby enjoys spending time with her family, baking, crafting, and participating in her local church and various causes to support community needs.
Known for her positive energy, passion, and innovation, Oglesby always seeks ways to improve systems and make a difference in whatever project she is tackling. Her attention to detail and problem-solving approach makes her an invaluable leader at NASA.
NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate maintains a continuous human presence in space for the benefit of people on Earth. The programs within the directorate are the heart of NASA’s space exploration efforts, enabling Artemis, commercial space, science, and other agency missions through communication, launch services, research capabilities, and crew support.
To learn more about NASA’s Space Operation Mission Directorate, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/space-operations
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Last Updated Nov 14, 2024 Related Terms
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By European Space Agency
Space startups and SMEs can meet ESA’s SME Office at Space Tech Expo, a space technology trade fair and conference in Bremen, Germany from 19–21 November.
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By NASA
Born and raised in Mexico City, Carlos Fontanot has dedicated 34 years to NASA. He supports the International Space Station Mission Integration and Operations Office, ensuring that high-quality imagery enhances mission objectives and operations.
Fontanot is known for conceiving and leading the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) project, which has brought stunning live visuals of Earth to millions around the globe. As he approaches his well-deserved retirement, we are excited to spotlight Fontanot’s remarkable career, celebrating his contributions to NASA and the lasting impact he has made on the agency’s mission to share the wonders of space.
Carlos Fontanot (left) receives the Great Minds in STEM Lifetime Achievement Award from Joel Montelbano, NASA at the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award Conference. What does your position entail?
Integrate all aspects of station imagery, from initial requirements to acquisition, processing, cataloging, archiving, and distribution of station imagery to multiple stakeholders, our clients.
How would you describe your job to family or friends who may not be as familiar with NASA?
I manage an array of television and digital still imagery cameras on the International Space Station. Each day we receive eight channels of high definition (HD) video and thousands of digital images that allow the ground team to see what the crew is doing in their daily lives and as part of scientific activities. In today’s age of social media and high-quality imagery, having these images is crucial for effectively conveying the station narrative.
I also chair the International Space Station’s Multilateral Imagery Working Group. Our team captures and processes the video and still images on a large server, where they are cataloged, archived, and distributed to our clients. Additionally, we are responsible for the photo and TV hardware aboard the space station and provide training to astronauts on how to use this equipment.
Carlos Fontanot with Liam Kennedy at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference. How do you feel the imagery and public affairs teams contribute to the overall mission of NASA?
Imagery is critical for communication in today’s visual environment. If people can’t see it, they won’t believe it! Effective communication through multimedia and pointed messaging is essential for securing continued support for NASA missions from both Congress and the public.
What was your path to NASA?
I was always interested in photography and film, so I studied radio, TV, and film in college. My first job after graduation was with a local TV station, and I also managed a media center for a multinational company. Then, I joined Johnson Space Center’s television and film division, where I managed space shuttle and institutional imagery.
Once at Johnson, I worked in the Office of Public Affairs as the audiovisual manager and served for two years as the public affairs officer in Moscow at the start of the International Space Station Program, including the launch of the first station crew.
What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA?
NASA is not just about astronauts, flight controllers, and engineers—there are countless disciplines and job opportunities here. Take imagery, for example: in today’s digital age, having the highest resolution imagery of our incredible orbiting laboratory environment and our home planet is essential.
For those aspiring to join the NASA team, I encourage you be open-minded and a team player. We need well-educated and talented individuals from diverse backgrounds across all disciplines to help us achieve our goals and explore the wonders of space.
Is there a space figure you’ve looked up to?
The space figure I will always remember and look up to is John Glenn. I had the fortune and privilege to meet him during his training. He was an extraordinary human being with incredibly high goals throughout his career.
I was assigned to escort John Glenn and the STS-95 crew on a two-week official visit to several European countries. John was by far the most inspiring and dedicated crew member that I’d ever met. He was always ready and willing to engage with dignitaries, politicians, leaders, journalists, and the public to share the NASA story and promote future programs to gain support from various governments and the public.
What do you love sharing about the International Space Station to general audiences?
I love sharing the wonders of life in space, especially the unique and breathtaking views of our planet Earth that can only be appreciated from space. I like to tell audiences about the observations and inspiration our astronauts share upon returning from their missions. I emphasize our thin and fragile atmosphere that sustains life as we know it, the beauty of Earth’s deserts, mountains, jungles, and oceans, and most importantly, the absence of borders. There’s always a profound realization that we are all human and that Earth belongs to all of us.
How has the technology for capturing images and video in space evolved over the years?
There was no digital imagery when I started my professional career. Photographs were taken on film that had to be processed in a dark room using chemicals to produce images. Video was recorded on two-inch magnetic tape at low resolution. We even flew film on our spacecraft that had to be brought back and processed on the ground.
Today, in the digital world, images can be streamed directly from our spacecraft and almost instantaneously shared with the entire globe. The evolution of technology has truly transformed how we capture and share the wonders of space!
Carlos Fontanot (left) sets up a NASA imagery exhibit in the Houston Downtown Tunnel System. What are some of the key projects you’ve worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorites?
During my time at NASA, I co-led the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) project, which deployed four Earth-viewing cameras on the International Space Station, reaching over 318 million viewers globally. I also contributed to designing Johnson’s new PAO studio, collaborated on upgrading the space station’s downlink system from four standard-definition to eight high-definition channels, and advanced television technology, including the first HD and later UHD live downlinks from the station. These projects have allowed me to enhance NASA’s capacity for sharing space imagery with the world.
What are your plans for retirement, and how do you hope to stay connected to the space community?
I plan to travel across the U.S. in a travel trailer with my wife and dog and enjoying my hobbies I will now have time for, such as photography and spending quality time with my family.
Carlos and Pat Fontanot at the Grand Canyon South Rim in Arizona. How do you believe NASA’s imagery can continue to inspire future generations?
Astronaut John Young would come to the photo lab after every shuttle mission to review the film shot onboard. He would say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” What can inspire more than a breathtaking image of a sunset captured from space or the aurora borealis over the polar regions?
What legacy do you hope to leave behind after your time at NASA?
I hope to leave behind a legacy of passion and dedication to acquiring and making pristine, high-resolution imagery from space available for the public to enjoy.
If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be?
I would choose John Young. He flew during both the Apollo and shuttle eras, was an imagery expert, and had a deep understanding of the space station.
Favorite space movie?
Interstellar
NASA Worm or Meatball logo?
Worm
***
Every day we are conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore farther into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It is a curated hub of space station research and digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.
Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.
Follow updates on social media at @ISS_Research on X, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
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