Tag: WFIRST
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Roman telescope construction complete, moving into final testing ahead of 2027 launch
At the end of November, NASA’s next great telescope — the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope — officially finished construction. Teams at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland joined the inner and outer portions of the telescope, completing construction of the multi-billion-dollar telescope on schedule for launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy in May…
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Roman Space Telescope to search for other Earths by surveying space dust
With the James Webb Space Telescope continuing its commissioning phase, NASA is already looking ahead to its next major space observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Currently scheduled to launch in 2027, Roman will observe the universe to answer crucial questions needed for the complete understanding of our universe, especially in the areas of…
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WFIRST astronomy mission faces cuts to contain rising costs
Artist’s concept of the WFIRST observatory. Credit: NASA/GSFC NASA has directed the team developing the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, a flagship astronomy mission set for launch in the mid-2020s to study dark energy and exoplanets, to reduce the observatory’s scientific capabilities and keep it under a $3.2 billion cost cap. Fresh off their experience with…
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With an eye on growing cost, NASA aims for 2025 launch of next ‘great observatory’
Artist’s concept of the WFIRST spacecraft. Credit: NASA NASA managers say the WFIRST mission, the next in the agency’s line of powerful observatories after the Hubble and James Webb telescopes, could cost around $3.2 billion after budgeting for a novel first-of-its-kind instrument to probe the make-up of planets around nearby stars and a bigger-than-expected launch…
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NASA moves forward with mission using spy satellite telescope
Artist’s concept of the WFIRST spacecraft. Credit: NASA NASA has formally approved plans — a year ahead of schedule — for an infrared space telescope launching around 2024 to record unique wide-angle views of the cosmos, seeking answers to questions about mysterious dark energy and searching for habitable worlds around other stars, the space agency…
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NASA’s next flagship space telescope to get formal start
Artist’s concept of WFIRST. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center NASA officials expect to officially kick off development in February of a multibillion-dollar observatory recycling a grounded top secret spy satellite telescope capable of studying dark energy and directly resolving planets around other stars. The WFIRST mission will launch in the 2020s as NASA’s next flagship-class…
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NASA’s next flagship space telescope to get formal start
Artist’s concept of WFIRST. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center NASA officials expect to officially kick off development in February of a multibillion-dollar observatory recycling a grounded top secret spy satellite telescope capable of studying dark energy and directly resolving planets around other stars. The WFIRST mission will launch in the 2020s as NASA’s next flagship-class…