Fuel savings could give NASA’s Roman telescope 22 years of science

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has conserved enough fuel to substantially improve its scientific prospects. Following a precise launch and first course correction, NASA estimates the observatory has fuel for at least 22 years of potential observations, more than double its original 10-year budget.

Roman launched from Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on August 30. A day later, its thrusters used just 18 kilograms of fuel to adjust its path, compared with the 200 kilograms set aside for that manoeuvre.

The spacecraft also finished construction lighter than engineers had allowed for. That left room to fill its fuel tanks to capacity, rather than carrying only enough for the planned five-year mission and a possible five-year extension.

The 22-year estimate includes expected savings from two manoeuvres still ahead. Roman is due to reach its observing orbit about 1.6 million kilometres from Earth in early December. Its actual working life will also depend on spacecraft health and future mission decisions.

If those extra years become available, astronomers could put them to substantial use. Roman is designed to deliver images as sharp as Hubble’s while covering 100 times as much sky at once. Its wide-ranging surveys will help researchers investigate dark matter, the accelerating expansion of the universe and planets beyond our solar system.