ScienceLive Science'On our way to groundbreaking science': Stars turn neon-green in first test image from NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
NASA's new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has switched on its 300-megapixel camera for the first time, with full science images expected in early 2027.
This week, NASA turned on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's powerful 300-megapixel camera for the first time. The debut test image promises "groundbreaking science" to come with NASA already talking about doubling the mission's lifespan.
NASA activated the Wide Field Instrument camera on the Roman Space Telescope, which launched on 30 August, producing its first test image of neon-green star shapes.
The camera is not yet fully focused, but once operational it will capture images 100 times larger than Hubble's, sending roughly 1.4 terabytes of data to Earth every day.
Scientists expect Roman to help unlock mysteries about dark energy, the expansion of the universe and the search for alien life when full science operations begin in early 2027.
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