NASA's Roman Telescope to launch with hardware salvaged from defunct spy satellite program
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch on Aug. 30, incorporates optical components originally built for a canceled National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite project. The Future Imagery Architecture program, contracted to Boeing, was abandoned in 2005 after billions in cost overruns. NASA repurposed the telescope assembly to study dark energy and exoplanets.
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Original headline: “From spy satellite to space telescope: The unlikely origins of NASA's Roman Space Telescope.” Browse more stories.