The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will begin to address some of the deepest mysteries of the Universe. This will include taking pictures of the deepest field in the universe. The evolution of the universe is being determined by Dark Matter and Dark Energy. The RST will have over 200 times the surveying power of its predecessor with the same rich level of detail, thanks to its partnership with theJWST.
On Tuesday, July 19th, NASA announced that it had awarded the company a contract to provide the rocket for the RST mission. According to the NLS II, the launch of the RST will take place in October of 2020 and will be carried out by a Falcon Heavy rocket. The launch and other mission-related costs are covered by the $255 million indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.
The RST was originally proposed as a replacement for Hubble. The design of the proposal was similar to that of Hubble, with a primary mirror and two instruments. The Wide- Field instrument, a 300.8-megapixel camera, and the Coronograph instrument are included.
The telescope was renamed in May 2020 to honor Nancy Grace Roman, NASA's first chief astronomer. The RST would get an upgrade with the addition of a K-band filter. The RST can now be used in the range of 500 to 23,000 nanometers. The RST's science program will include dedicated investigations to address several enduring mysteries.
The study and characterization of exoplanets will narrow the search and complete the census of exoplanets. In particular, the RST will use its huge field of view to detect thousands of smaller, rocky planets that are close to their parent stars. The planets that will be designated for follow-up observations are:
It will conduct the deepest surveys of the Universe to find the earliest stars and galaxies, which formed 100 million years after the Bigbang. The EUCLID mission will allow astronomer to investigate possible causes of Cosmic Acceleration. The existence of Dark Energy is one of the current theories. Questions about the fate of the universe will be addressed by these operations.
Dark Matter and its role in the evolution of the universe will be studied with the help of the telescope. The RST mission has a general investigator program that will allow for further studies. Collaboration with other science missions and space agencies will be possible thanks to this. This is great news for NASA and its partners.
It is encouraging to know that the next generation telescope is not far behind after years of waiting for James Webb to get to space and start shooting the most breathtaking and detailed images. Roman's relatively simple design will make for a quicker launch schedule. It is good news for the company, which has secured many lucrative contracts with NASA in the past.
The human landing system will transport the first woman and the first person of color to the moon by the year 2025. It also includes the launch services for the lunar gateway, which will consist of the core elements, the Habitation and Logistics outpost and the Power and Propulsion element.
There is further reading on NASA.
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