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NASA Prepares for Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launch
Confirmed
In Short: NASA is set to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, with coverage plans in place for prelaunch and launch activities.
NASA is preparing for the launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The telescope, designed to explore dark energy and dark matter, will be encapsulated within a payload fairing and mated to a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on August 21, 2026.
The launch is targeted for no earlier than August 30, 2026, at 7:26 a.m., with live coverage available through various platforms. This mission will also include Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov as mission specialists.
Teams at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center are currently encapsulating the telescope to protect it during rollout, ascent, and early phases of flight. The Roman Space Telescope will conduct a statistical census of planetary systems and enable a broad range of astrophysics research.
NASA and SpaceX are addressing an oxidizer leak on the Dragon’s propulsion system, which was detected during standard prelaunch spacecraft processing, to ensure a smooth launch for the Crew-13 mission alongside the Roman Space Telescope.
Background
Florida is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Straits of Florida to the south, and The Bahamas to the southeast.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
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- NASA and SpaceX are adjusting the launch date for the agency’s Crew-13 mission to the International Space Station to address an oxidizer leak on Dragon’s propulsion system which was detected during standard prelaunch…
- They will be joined by CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov, who will serve as mission specialists.
- Teams inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida encapsulate the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope within the payload fairing on Friday, Aug.
- 21, 2026, ahead of mating to a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
- Encapsulation shields the spacecraft during rollout, ascent, and the early phases of flight.
- Roman will investigate dark energy and dark matter, conduct a statistical census of planetary systems, and enable a broad range of additional astrophysics research.
- Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy is targeted for no earlier than Sunday, Aug.