Nancy Grace Roman Telescope

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Solar Panels for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Key Tests [Aug 26]

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Solar Array Sun Shield has successfully completed recent tests, signaling that the assembly is on track to be completed on schedule. The panels are designed to power and shade the observatory, enabling all the mission’s observations and helping keep the instruments cool.

The Roman team has two sets of these panels –– one that will fly aboard the observatory and another as a test structure, used specifically for preliminary assessments.

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, evaluated the test version in a thermal vacuum chamber, which simulates the hot and cold temperatures and low-pressure environment the flight panels will experience in space. Since the panels will be stowed for launch, the team practiced deploying them in space-like conditions.

Meanwhile, a vendor built up the flight version by fitting the panels with solar cells. After delivery to Goddard, technicians tested the solar cells by flashing the panels with a bright light that simulates the Sun.

“We save a significant amount of time and money by using two versions of the panels, because we can do a lot of preliminary tests on a spare while moving further in the process with the flight version,” said Jack Marshall, the Solar Array Sun Shield lead at NASA Goddard. “It streamlines the process and also avoids risking damage to the panels that will go on the observatory, should testing reveal a flaw.”

Next spring, the flight version of the Solar Array Sun Shield will be installed on the Roman spacecraft. Then, the whole spacecraft will go through thorough testing to ensure it will hold up during launch and perform as expected in space.

 

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJKjpYKJwk4

Oct 2, 2024
In September 2024, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope passed a key milestone and was approved for the next stage of construction. Work on the main systems that will make up the final spacecraft is finishing, and the team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is ready to begin integration, the process of connecting them together. This video celebrates the effort to reach the final stages of assembly.

To learn more about all these systems and where they fit into Roman, visit https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive/


Launching no later than May 2027, Roman is NASA’s next flagship mission. An infrared survey telescope with the same resolution as Hubble, but 100 times the field of view, Roman is being built and tested at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Partners from across the country are contributing to this effort.

Music credit: “The Call,” Torsti Juhani Spoof [BMI] Universal Production Music

Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Videographers: Sophia Roberts (eMITS)
Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Jolearra Tshiteya (ASRC Federal)
Public affairs officer: Claire Andreoli (NASA/GSFC)
Editor: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)

 

[FighterJock]

Good news Flyaway. A long time until launch though May 2027.

 

[Flyaway]

Roman Space Telescope reaches assembly milestone

All the major elements of NASA’s next flagship space telescope are now under one roof as NASA says its development remains on cost and schedule.

spacenews.com

 

[FighterJock]

Excellent news for the Roman Space Telescope, even better that it remains on cost and schedule.

 

[Archibald]

Yup, it is a welcome change from Hubble and Webb.