Roman Space Telescope Launches Tomorrow

by | Aug 29, 2026 | Exoplanetary Science | 2 comments

We’ll have a lot to talk about when observations from the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope start coming in. But first we’ve got to get it out to its halo orbit around the L2 Sun-Earth Lagrange point. With the Sun, Earth and Moon permanently blocked out, the seeing should be good from this vantage some 1.5 million kilometers out. Just now I’ve had a note from Jim Benford reminding me that launch is currently scheduled for tomorrow, August 30, at 0726 ET (1126 UTC). The additional good news is that Jim’s son Dominic will be one of two hosts of the live coverage from NASA. I remember meeting Dominic some years back at Goddard Space Flight Center, where I had the chance to see the JWST telescope being prepared to go through its vibration testing.

Dominic has spent more than a decade working on the Roman telescope, so the honor of working the NASA live coverage is well deserved. The photo below shows him during preparations for the Sunday coverage, which starts at 0620 ET (1020 UTC). You can tune in on Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, X, Discovery+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, or NASA+ (see https://www.nasa.gov/live/ for links and updates).

And as Jim reminds us: “As with any launch, timing can change because of weather or other conditions, so check NASA for the latest schedule. Fingers crossed!”

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2 Comments

  1. Edwin on August 29, 2026 at 20:26

    Hi All

    Lets hope for a successful launch!

    Thanks Ed

    Reply

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In Centauri Dreams, Paul Gilster looks at peer-reviewed research on deep space exploration, with an eye toward interstellar possibilities. For many years this site coordinated its efforts with the Tau Zero Foundation. It now serves as an independent forum for deep space news and ideas. In the logo above, the leftmost star is Alpha Centauri, a triple system closer than any other star, and a primary target for early interstellar probes. To its right is Beta Centauri (not a part of the Alpha Centauri system), with Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Crucis, stars in the Southern Cross, visible at the far right (image courtesy of Marco Lorenzi).

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