NASA schedules Roman telescope launch on SpaceX Falcon Heavy
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. ET (1126 UTC) on Aug. 30, with live coverage starting at 6:20 a.m. ET. Weather officials with the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45 predict a 50 percent chance of favorable conditions, with the Cumulus Cloud Rule the primary concern. Roman weighs more than 20,000 pounds when fully fueled, measures over 42 feet long and more than 14 feet wide when deployed, and will orbit roughly one million miles from Earth at the Sun–Earth L2 point to study dark energy, exoplanets and astrophysics with a field of view at least 100 times larger than Hubble's. NASA's Launch Services Program manages the Falcon Heavy launch, and about eight minutes after liftoff spectators should hear double sonic booms as two side boosters return to Landing Zones 2 and 40.
Roman telescope will launch Aug. 30 to study dark energy and exoplanets
Context
NASA announced launch times and live coverage for Aug. 30. Weather officials issued a 50 percent favorable forecast and noted the Cumulus Cloud Rule. If the launch proceeds, Roman will travel to the Sun–Earth L2 point and begin its science…
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