NASA launches 4.3bn Roman Telescope to uncover universe's hidden secrets

NASA launches $4.3bn Roman Telescope to uncover universe's hidden secrets Share NASA launches $4.3bn Roman Telescope to uncover universe's hidden secrets on social media NASA's newest flagship astronomical observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, has been launched on a quest to solve some of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology, including hunting for planets around other stars, exploring dark energy and scanning the cosmos. SpaceX, the aerospace company run by Elon Musk, launched the $4.3bn space telescope on a triple-the-fire-power Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in the US state of Florida just after dawn on Sunday. It will take more than three months to get there. Its mission is planned for five years although the United States space agency said the telescope may have enough fuel for five additional years, given that the telescope is designed to be refuelled. If a robotic tanker becomes available in the coming decade, that could extend the Roman Telescope's life.