Roman Space Telescope Primary Mirror Passes Final Inspection

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, completed the final inspection of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) primary mirror. On May 20 and 21 they confirmed no specks fell onto the mirrors during testing and that the mirror path and alignment remain unchanged.

With this milestone complete, the primary mirror is ready for its next view: space. The team turned the observatory onto its side and deployed the protective “hood” that will be stowed for launch, then carried out a meticulous visual inspection. “We developed a method of using a high-resolution camera equipped with a very powerful zoom lens to do a multi-purpose inspection,” said Bente Eegholm, optics lead for Roman’s Optical Telescope Assembly.

“The mirror passed with flying colors, keeping the mission on track for an early September launch.” Roman’s primary mirror has a silver coating less than 400 nanometers thick, chosen for its performance reflecting near-infrared light.

United States, Greenbelt, Maryland

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