The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 30 August aboard a Falcon Heavy. In a publication dated 3 September, NASA reports that its journey to its final orbit will take around three months and cover one million miles. [1]

Roman combines a wide field of view with sharp infrared vision. Its scientific programme covers dark matter, dark energy and planets beyond our Solar System. The aim is to survey large areas of the sky and gather information about the history of the universe. [1]

There is also a pleasingly down-to-earth detail: completing the telescope early made it possible to bring the launch forward, in coordination with SpaceX. The achievement so far is the departure of an ambitious scientific instrument; observations and any discoveries belong to the mission’s next stages. [1]