NASA is preparing to launch the Roman Space Telescope on Sunday aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, starting a multi-year mission to map the universe. Roman will use a wide field of view to survey large areas of the sky, aiming to study phenomena including exoplanets and supernovae. The mission also targets questions about the nature of dark matter and dark energy, using observations designed to improve understanding of the cosmos.
Both outlets describe Roman as a major new “great observatory,” scheduled to lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Spaceflight Now reports the launch is set for 7:26 a.m. EDT (1126 UTC). It also highlights that Roman’s telescope incorporates a mirror originally built for a spy satellite and donated for the project. France 24 focuses more on the scientific goals and Roman’s wider view compared with Hubble, while Spaceflight Now emphasizes the observatory’s readiness and program scale.
