The Roman Space Telescope, formerly known as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), is a space telescope under construction by NASA. The telescope will have a 2.4-meter primary mirror—making it one of the largest infrared telescopes in space—and a field of view 100 times greater than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. Roman is scheduled to launch in 2025.
The Roman Space Telescope is designed to answer some of the most pressing questions in astrophysics, such as:
· How did galaxies form and evolve?
· What are the nature and distribution of exoplanets?
· How does dark energy influence the expansion of the Universe?
· What are the origins of stars and planetary systems?
To achieve these science goals,Roman will be equipped with two state-of-the-art instruments:
1) The Wide Field Instrument (WFI), composed of 18 charge coupled device (CCD) detectors, will provide high spatial resolution imaging over a broad wavelength range from 0.6 to 1.8 microns. This instrument will enable wide-field surveys for galaxy evolution studies and microlensing planet detection programs.
2) The coronagraphic imager (CGI), composed of four quadrant phase mask coronagraphs operating at wavelengths between 1 and 2 microns, will provide high contrast imaging capabilities needed to directly image giant planets around nearby stars and study their atmospheres through spectroscopy.