Seven films illustrate the science, instruments, and assembly of NASA's new observatory that will study dark energy, galaxies, and exoplanets.

Il Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope It was designed to observe the Universe with a unique combination: sharp images, comparable in resolution to those of Hubble, but collected over a field of view at least one hundred times wider. The seven videos dedicated to the mission illustrate its scientific objectives, architecture, and the main assembly phases.

The images allow us to observe Roman as a system in which optics, mechanics, thermal control, power generation, communications, and data processing must function together. Some films show the telescope in its overall configuration; others reconstruct the integration of its components or focus on the external structures and shields designed to protect the instruments from solar light and heat.

The scientific heart of the mission is the Wide Field Instrument, a near-infrared camera with approximately 300 megapixels. Roman will use a 2,4-meter primary mirror, the same diameter as Hubble's, but will be able to observe much larger portions of the sky. This capability will allow it to move from studying individual objects to the statistical analysis of immense populations of galaxies and stars.

One of the main objectives will be to better understand thedark energy, the unknown component associated with the accelerated expansion of the Universe. Roman will observe thousands of Type Ia supernovae, analyze weak gravitational lensing, and reconstruct the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies. Comparing distances, redshifts, and matter concentrations at different cosmic epochs will allow new tests to be made of models of cosmic evolution.

The telescope will also study the dark matter, the formation of galaxies, and the structure of the Milky Way. Observing hundreds of millions of stars will also allow the search for exoplanets through microlensing and transits, including worlds difficult to detect with other methods.

The Wide Field Instrument will operate alongside the Coronagraph Instrument, a technology demonstrator designed to suppress the glare of stars and reveal the much fainter light of nearby planets. The technologies tested by the coronagraph could contribute to the development of future observatories dedicated to the direct imaging of Earth-like planets.

The videos also demonstrate how the quality of observations depends on factors seemingly external to astronomical research. The Lower Instrument Sun Shade, the Solar Array Sun Shield, and the Deployable Aperture Cover will protect the instruments and help maintain stable thermal conditions. The solar panels will provide power, while the high-gain antenna will transmit the vast amount of data produced daily back to Earth.

Roman will operate around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L2, approximately 1,6 million kilometers from our planet. From this location, it will be able to conduct stable and prolonged infrared observations, transforming billions of astronomical sources into a vast wealth of information.

Taken together, the seven films tell the story of the transition from the fundamental questions of cosmology to the concrete construction of the observatory. Roman will not only be a new space telescope, but a great infrastructure for data astronomy, designed to combine the depth of vision with an unprecedentedly broad representation of the cosmos.

Nancy Grace Roman: Here's How NASA's Telescope Will Map the Cosmos

Dark energy: How Roman will measure the expansion of our universe

Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Anatomy of NASA's New Observatory

Nancy Grace Roman: The new US telescope offers a 360-degree view.

How Roman Was Made: Assembling NASA's New Space Telescope

Roman Space Telescope: How the External Structure Is Assembled

The heat shield that protects the instruments of the Roman Space Telescope

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