NASA's next-gen Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope gets its powerful eye (photos)

"A high point of our journey [has been] witnessing the entire telescope come together as an aligned system — a moment that crystallized years of dedication from hundreds of individuals."

Scientists working on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope have achieved a significant milestone in assembling the next-generation observatory, which aims to address critical questions about dark matter, exoplanets and infrared astrophysics.

The Optical Telescope Assembly, a key component of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, or Roman for short, was successfully delivered to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, in early November from Rochester, New York, where it was designed and built by the company L3Harris Technologies.

This advanced assembly includes a state-of-the-art primary mirror, designed to capture and focus faint infrared light from the distant cosmos, as well as nine additional precision-engineered mirrors. Together with its structural supports and sophisticated electronics, the assembly will serve as the telescope's "eye," enabling groundbreaking observations and unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

The delivery marks a crucial step toward completing the Roman Space Telescope, which is expected to expand our understanding of the cosmos and revolutionize the study of dark energy, galaxy formation, and planetary systems beyond our solar system.