The core part of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space telescope has successfully completed vibration testing to ensure it can withstand the experience of extreme shaking during launch. Take Rome one step closer with this critical milestone to help answer fundamental questions about the role of dark energy and other cosmic mysteries.
"This test can be considered a rather severe earthquake, but there are major differences," said Cory Powell, a leading structural analyst at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Unlike earthquakes, we sweep the frequencies at a time, start with very low amplitudes and gradually increase them as we check them everything Along the way. This is a very complex process that requires extraordinary efforts to be safe and effective. ”
The team simulated the launch conditions as much as possible. “We tested in a flight-driven configuration and filled the propulsion tank with about 295 gallons of deionized water to simulate the amount of propulsion on the spacecraft during launch.” Joel Proebstle led the test at NASA Goddard. This is part of a series of tests that up to 125% of the power experienced by observatorys.
This milestone is the latest in intensive testing of an almost complete Roman space telescope, with many of the major parts coming together and conducted by fast-sequential assessments. Rome is currently composed of two main components: the interior, the core part (teleoscope, instrument carrier, two musical instruments and spacecraft) and the exterior (external barrel assembly, solar array sun shield and deployable hole cover).
Now, after the vibration test is completed, the core section will return to Goddard's large cleaning room for post-test inspection. They will confirm that everything is in proper alignment and that the high-gain antenna can be deployed. The next major assessment of the core will involve additional testing of electronics, followed by thermal vacuum testing to ensure that the system will operate as planned in demanding space environments.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux75bfgl9aw[/embed]
Meanwhile, Goddard technicians are also studying the external parts of Rome. They installed the test solar array solar shield and then performed their own thermal vacuum test to verify that it will correctly control the temperature in the space vacuum. Now, technicians are installing flying solar panels to the outside of the observatory.
The team is expected to connect two major rallies in Rome in November, leading to By the end of the year, the entire observatory will undergo final testing. Roman is still launching as planned in May 2027, with the team aiming to be as early as fall 2026.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is at the Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) in Greenbelt, Maryland, with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. California Institute of Technology/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a scientific team of scientists from various research institutions. Junior industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. of Boulder, Colorado; L3 Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.
Ashley Balzer
NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, MD.