NASA powers on Roman Space Telescope's instruments during trip to deep space

By the Everything Space news desk · 16 Sep 2026 · written from the sources below

Image: Space.com

Early activation and testing of the observatory's camera and coronagraph mark key steps before its 2027 science mission begins.

NASA has begun switching on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's main instruments as the observatory travels toward its operating post nearly a million miles from Earth. The telescope launched in late August and is roughly three months into its journey to Lagrange point two, a stable location that keeps it shielded from the sun while facing deep space.

Engineers have started testing the Wide Field Instrument, a large infrared camera intended to survey broad regions of sky, and the Coronagraph Instrument, designed to block starlight so faint nearby planets can be detected. Neither instrument is ready to collect science data yet, with roughly another month of calibration ahead before the mission can formally begin.

Before activating the Wide Field Instrument's sensors, the team allowed the hardware to dry out and release residual contaminants left over from launch, keeping it at a relatively mild subzero temperature. Engineers then shut off its heater so it could cool further, eventually reaching the extreme cold needed to activate its infrared detectors, which are still cooling toward their final working temperature. After that, the team calibrated a wheel of optical filters and confirmed the instrument's focus systems were working properly.

The Coronagraph Instrument also passed early milestones, with operators confirming they could remotely control its electronic and mechanical components from a dedicated commanding center. Unlike the Wide Field Instrument, the coronagraph was warmed to a much higher, room-like temperature to mimic conditions used during ground testing, helping engineers evaluate its adjustable mirrors. The instrument is now undergoing a monthlong decontamination period alongside further calibration checks.

NASA says Roman remains on schedule to begin returning its first science images in early 2027, following completion of its journey to its observing position. The agency has also noted that efficient use of fuel during launch and initial maneuvers should allow the telescope to operate for many years beyond its original mission timeline.

Written in Everything Space’s own words by our news-desk model from the sources above, and checked against them in code: every number in this report appears in its sources, and no sentence is copied from them.