Roman Space Telescope equipped with technology from Heidelberg set for launch

Beyond probing the history of the universe, the NASA space telescope will test a new technique for examining exoplanets.

August 26, 2026

The Roman space telescope is positioned in the foreground against a backdrop of glowing purple nebulae and numerous galaxies. The telescope features a dark, angular structure with a large central mirror and several rectangular components. The scene conveys a sense of depth and vastness in space. — An artist’s concept of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

© NASA/SVS

An artist’s concept of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

© NASA/SVS

To the point

Roman Space Telescope, Launch Date: The NASA Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled for launch on 30 August 2026 from Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to study the universe's history and dark matter and energy as well as exoplanets.
MPIA Heidelberg Contribution: The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg played a key role in developing the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), including designing, manufacturing, and testing its Precision Alignment Mechanisms (PAMs).
Scientific Goals: CGI aims to observe older, cooler gas giants closer to their stars than previously possible and analyze their atmospheres with an integrated spectrograph.

The NASA space telescope “Nancy Grace Roman” (or Roman for short) is scheduled to launch into space from the Kennedy Space Center in the US aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at 13:26 (1:26 p.m.) CEST on 30 August 2026, following a construction period of around ten years. One of the telescope’s primary missions during its operational lifespan of at least five years will be to investigate the history of the universe and the contributions of dark matter and dark energy to its expansion and the formation of the cosmic large-scale structure. In doing so, its measurements will complement those of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid space telescope, which has been pursuing similar objectives since 2023.

MPIA in Heidelberg makes important contributions

A large space telescope module stands upright in a brightly lit assembly hall. The module is attached to an adapter featuring multiple struts and technical components. The payload consists of an elongated main body covered with dark panels, tapering upward into a pointed fairing. Walls, ceiling panels, and technical equipment of the hall are visible in the background. — Photograph of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope taken on 7 August 2026 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US. In preparation for launch aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket on 30 August 2026, it was carefully integrated with its payload adapter inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. This specialized mount provides stability within the rocket and is designed for large, heavy loads.

© NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya

Photograph of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope taken on 7 August 2026 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US. In preparation for launch aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket on 30 August 2026, it was carefully integrated with its payload adapter inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. This specialized mount provides stability within the rocket and is designed for large, heavy loads.

© NASA/Jolearra Tshiteya

Additionally, Roman will discover a multitude of new exoplanets, utilizing among other equipment the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI). The Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, NASA’s sole direct German partner, has played a key role in developing and constructing this instrument. Under the leadership of Oliver Krause, engineers and scientists at MPIA designed, developed, manufactured, and tested central optical elements for the CGI, known as the Precision Alignment Mechanisms (PAMs). The company von Hoerner & Sulger, based in the neighbouring town of Schwetzingen, supported the construction process.

“The CGI aboard the Roman Space Telescope is the most technically sophisticated device for optical observations ever operated in space for scientific research,” says Oliver Krause, head of the Infrared Space Astronomy Research Group at MPIA.

Furthermore, MPIA is participating in the development of software to process both technical and scientific data, as well as in preparing the observations. The measurements are coordinated by a NASA panel, the Community Participation Program (CPP), whose core team includes Oliver Krause as the local project lead. On behalf of MPIA, Wolfgang Brandner is responsible within the CPP for observations aimed at detecting gas giants in visible light, while Gaël Chauvin is involved in observation preparations.

Shortly after launch, CPP members will work around the clock on data evaluation during the telescope's commissioning. “However, thanks to the CPP's global distribution, with members in the US, Japan, and Europe, our data analysts can carry out their tasks during normal office hours,” says Wolfgang Brandner. During routine operations, all data will be made available to the public immediately following processing at the Roman Science Support Center.

New camera design for a scientific breakthrough

A precision alignment mechanism is mounted on an optical bench. Several optical filters are integrated into the metallic housing, which features multiple openings and screw connections. Numerous coloured and white cables are attached to the device and run neatly across the surface of the optical bench. The setting appears technical and organized. — The image shows one of the PAM flight models equipped with optical colour filters to adjust the wavelength range during observations. The combination of PAM and colour filter forms the CFAM (Colour Filter Alignment Mechanism). In the photograph, it is mounted on the optical bench of the CGI.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech

The image shows one of the PAM flight models equipped with optical colour filters to adjust the wavelength range during observations. The combination of PAM and colour filter forms the CFAM (Colour Filter Alignment Mechanism). In the photograph, it is mounted on the optical bench of the CGI.

© NASA/JPL-Caltech

CGI is an innovative instrument design that will be tested to enable direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets in tight orbits around distant stars. Its optical elements—masks, deformable mirrors, and sensors—will suppress interfering starlight, making the faint light reflected by the planets visible for research.

The objective of CGI is to image planets and circumstellar discs around nearby stars in visible light. This will allow the study of gas giants that are older, cooler, and orbit their host stars at closer distances than the hot, young planets previously discovered through direct imaging.

To this end, CGI combines two established observation techniques for the first time in space: coronagraphs and adaptive optics. Coronagraphs block out bright objects using specialized masks, revealing fainter celestial bodies nearby. However, the masks employed usually cause strong image artefacts around the masked stars. Therefore, astronomers using this method almost exclusively find gas giants similar to Jupiter that orbit at relatively large distances from their host stars.

For smaller planets in tighter orbits, these unwanted effects must be reduced. For this reason, CGI additionally features an adaptive optics system, enabling a higher brightness contrast between stars and planets. This technology is typically found in ground-based telescopes, where it helps eliminate image degradation caused by atmospheric turbulence. For space-based cameras, however, the required processing power presents a new challenge.

Technology of maximum precision

The CGI’s design aims to detect a planet whose nearby host star is a billion times brighter—roughly corresponding to the contrast ratio between Jupiter and the Sun. Compared with current capabilities, this represents up to a thousandfold improvement. An integrated spectrograph will then enable researchers to analyze the atmospheric composition of these planets.

An optical bench with various electronic components and cables is positioned in the foreground. Two individuals wearing full cleanroom attire, including coveralls, gloves, and protective eyewear, are working intently on the optical bench. The scene is illuminated with blue light, highlighting the technical environment and cleanroom setting. The individuals are touching or adjusting parts on the optical bench. — Fully populated optical bench of the CGI following delivery to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. At its maximum dimension, the optical bench measures 1.7 metres × 1.7 metres.

© NASA/Chris Gunn (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Fully populated optical bench of the CGI following delivery to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. At its maximum dimension, the optical bench measures 1.7 metres × 1.7 metres.

© NASA/Chris Gunn (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

These goals require the PAMs, manufactured by MPIA, to guarantee exceptionally high precision and stability in the positioning of optical elements, such as filters, coronagraphs, and mirrors, over a period of several hours. During operation, the PAMs must not tilt by more than 40 milliarcseconds over an eight-hour timeframe (3.6 million milliarcseconds correspond to one degree). This is equivalent to the angular size of a human being in Los Angeles when viewed from Heidelberg.

Following a successful CGI mission, this technology could be further refined for future space observatories like the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Directly imaging an Earth analogue would then be within reach.

Background information

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (formerly WFIRST: Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope) was developed under NASA leadership. The telescope is named after astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, who directed NASA’s astronomical research programmes for decades. Among other achievements, she was responsible for the scientific planning of the Hubble Space Telescope. The 2.4-metre primary mirror is similar to the one used in the Hubble Space Telescope. For one of the two scientific instruments, the Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg constructed central optomechanical components.

For the translation from the German original, a language model was utilized in an intermediate step, with the output being editorially reviewed and corrected.