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Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope blog is NASA's hub for the mission's launch updates, where all are invited for behind-the-scenes looks on Roman's road to launch and beyond. This flagship mission’s vast, deep surveys will help astronomers explore dark matter, dark energy, exoplanets, and almost anything from our own solar system to galaxies at the edge of the observable universe. Follow along to join in on the excitement!

NASA Roman Arrives at Launch Pad, Mission Briefings Scheduled

Close-up view of the Roman Space Telescope’s payload, wrapped in white covering with the NASA logo and Roman Space Telescope insignia displayed prominently.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is photographed after encapsulation inside its payload fairing in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, ahead of mating to a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
NASA/Sydney Rohde (Rocz)

On Saturday, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket carrying NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope rolled out from the hangar to Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After arriving at the pad, technicians raised the almost 230-foot rocket to a vertical position. The Falcon Heavy has 27 Merlin engines split evenly between the center core and two side boosters that can generate more than five million pounds of thrust. Roman is roughly the size of a school bus and weighs about as much, requiring a powerful rocket to send it more than a million miles from Earth.

Coverage of the 9 a.m. EDT science briefing will be streamed will stream through a variety of platforms. Learn where to watch online: https://www.nasa.gov/live.

NASA will host several news conferences this morning to discuss the Roman mission.

  • Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters

  • Julie McEnery, Roman telescope senior project scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Vanessa Bailey, Roman Coronagraph Instrument scientist, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  • Kristen McQuinn, Roman Science Operations Center lead, Space Telescope Science Institute

  • Lee Armus, science lead, Roman Science Support Center lead, Caltech/IPAC

Following the science briefing, the agency will host a prelaunch news conference at 10:30 a.m., streamed on https://www.nasa.gov/live with the following participants:

  • Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters

  • Lucas Paganini, Roman telescope program executive, NASA Headquarters

  • Jackie Townsend, Roman telescope project manager, NASA Goddard

  • Denton Gibson, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program, NASA Kennedy

  • Julianna Scheiman, director, NASA Science and Dragon Programs, SpaceX

  • Justin McReynolds, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force

NASA and SpaceX are targeting a 7:26 a.m. liftoff on Sunday, Aug. 30 from Launch Complex 39A.