Roman Space Telescope launched by SpaceX to study dark energy

Technology Sep 03, 2026

SpaceX just launched the Roman Space Telescope on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, sending it 1 million miles from Earth.

This $4.3 billion mission will explore dark energy, map galaxies, and hunt for exoplanets.

NASA science mission director Nicky Fox summed up the excitement, calling it "such a good day!"

Coronagraph enables direct exoplanet imaging

Named after NASA's first chief astronomer, the telescope features a camera with a view more than 100 times wider than Hubble's, so it can scan huge chunks of space at once.

Its coronagraph lets scientists directly spot planets outside our solar system.

Plus, it's NASA's first space telescope named after a woman, a pretty cool milestone in space exploration!