Roman is on its way to the dark universe

Roman has left Earth, and the survey begins with the journey to its working orbit.

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched on Aug. 30 aboard a Falcon Heavy and separated from the rocket's upper stage 31 minutes later. The observatory is now traveling toward the Sun–Earth L2 point, about 1 million miles from Earth. 1

Once commissioned, Roman's infrared Wide Field Instrument will survey huge areas of sky with a 300-megapixel camera. NASA expects a field of view at least 100 times wider than Hubble's, while a separate coronagraph will test ways to block starlight and image Jupiter-like exoplanets. 2

The first science images are expected after the spacecraft reaches L2 and its instruments are checked. The launch is the visible beginning; the useful surprise will come from the map that follows.