NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is producing sharper images than scientists expected. Following its launch on 30 August, engineers tested its equipment and made precise adjustments. Its main camera, the Wide Field Instrument, now delivers image quality nearly 30% better than predicted. The telescope will use this instrument to survey large areas of the sky and investigate dark matter and dark energy, which remain mysteries of the universe.
The telescope’s mirrors were already positioned very accurately, so only small changes were necessary. Engineers moved its secondary mirror by about one-sixteenth of the width of a human hair. Tests also checked the main camera’s 18 light detectors, its electronics and the system that controls temperatures.
Both scientific instruments now meet or exceed expectations. The second, called the Coronagraph Instrument, initially produced slightly blurred images, but engineers corrected its focus. They will continue adjusting its camera settings and mirrors that can change shape. In the coming weeks, they plan to test its ability to block unwanted light, which is necessary for observing faint objects near brighter ones.
