Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument powers on

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope recently activated its Coronagraph Instrument, initiating a calibration and testing phase ahead of full science operations. The instrument and its ultra-sensitive camera readout system, developed by ABB and Nüvü Camēras, are designed to capture extremely faint light from exoplanets by effectively suppressing starlight. The coronagraph is touted as 100 to 1,000 times more powerful for imaging exoplanets than current space-based coronagraphs, with a field of view far larger than Hubble’s to survey wide swaths of the sky. The telescope was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy and is now in orbit, with its solar arrays and instrument sun shade deployed, establishing the platform for exoplanet imaging and contributing to long-term goals like NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory. ABB’s technology highlights the rugged, space-ready readout electronics that enable precise photon counting in a harsh deep-space environment. Together, these developments position the Roman Space Telescope as a flagship tool for advancing exoplanet science and the broader quest to identify potentially habitable worlds.