When Roman launches no earlier than Aug. 30, it won't simply take pictures of space. It will create the largest and most detailed maps of the cosmos ever produced, searching for clues about dark energy, discovering thousands of distant worlds beyond our solar system and capturing sweeping views of billions of galaxies stretching across the universe.
Making those discoveries possible is the L3Harris-built Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) – the observatory's optical eye. With a 2.4-meter primary mirror and a field of view approximately 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, Roman will survey the universe nearly 1,000 times faster than Hubble, producing an unprecedented volume of scientific data while maintaining extraordinary image quality.
"Building Roman required solving engineering challenges that pushed the limits of optical precision, stability and reliability," said Jeff Hanke, President, Space Systems, L3Harris Technologies. "Roman represents one of the most ambitious observatories ever built, and we're incredibly proud that the optical system engineered by L3Harris will enable discoveries scientists haven't even imagined yet. Every image Roman captures has the potential to rewrite what we know about our universe."
The L3Harris Optical Telescope Assembly must perform flawlessly after traveling nearly one million miles from Earth to the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point – a region of space where precise gravitational balance creates an ideal location for deep-space observations.
L3Harris’ critical work designing and manufacturing Roman's optical telescope is only one part of the company’s long history developing critical mission technologies that allow the observatory to operate with remarkable precision, including: high-reliability communications infrastructure capable of transmitting enormous volumes of scientific data back to Earth; precision guidance sensors that keep observatories pointed with extraordinary accuracy; and radiation-hardened electronics engineered to operate for years in the harsh environment of deep space.
L3Harris technologies will enable Roman to investigate one of science's greatest mysteries – dark energy, the invisible force believed to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe. The telescope will also conduct the most comprehensive census of exoplanets ever attempted using a coronograph, helping scientists better understand how planetary systems form throughout the Milky Way.
The optical telescope assembly and telescope electronics were designed and manufactured at the company's Rochester, NY facility, continuing L3Harris' decades-long legacy of delivering advanced space optics and mission-critical technologies for NASA and the nation's most important civil and national security space programs.
As Roman begins its journey, L3Harris technology will serve as humanity's window into some of the universe's oldest galaxies, most distant stars and biggest unanswered questions – helping scientists uncover discoveries that could transform our understanding of the cosmos for decades to come.
