Here’s how to watch as SpaceX launches NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Florida as early as Aug. 30.
Get ready to watch as NASA’s new cosmic observatory is launched into space atop a SpaceX rocket.
Once it reaches its planned orbit following liftoff, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is due to spend the next several years scanning the far reaches of the universe to solve some of life’s biggest mysteries. NASA envisions that the Roman telescope will build on the legacies of icons like the Hubble and James Webb space observatories, which have for years returned some of the most stunning images of the cosmos you can find.
Interested in watching a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket propel the telescope to space? NASA and its commercial partners like Amazon will provide plenty of ways to ensure you can keep up with the action as it unfolds in real time.
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Here’s how to watch live as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is lifted off the ground into space.
What is NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope?
Named after a famous astronomer at NASA, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope represents the space agency’s next flagship astrophysics mission. Spanning 42 feet long and more than 14 feet wide, the observatory is designed to explore the outer solar system and beyond – prying into previously unobservable areas of the universe to study dark energy and search for exoplanets.
Roman is outfitted with two primary instruments to accomplish its mission, including a wide multi-band near-infrared camera and a coronagraph designed to reduce the glare from distant stars so it can photograph distant worlds.
“Roman, NASA’s newest space telescope, will change the way we see the universe and settle essential questions in astronomy, helping researchers understand how the universe has changed over time, what drives its expansion, and the worlds that exist beyond our solar system,” NASA explains.
When is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope due to launch?
NASA is working toward a Sunday, Aug. 30 launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, with liftoff taking place no earlier than 7:26 a.m. ET, according to the agency.
The telescope will get off the ground and be propelled into space atop SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from the historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX expects that it will take about a half-hour until the Roman telescope has completely separated from all stages of the Falcon Heavy rocket and deployed into space.
How to watch NASA coverage of launch on YouTube, Netflix, more
NASA’s live coverage of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launch will begin at 6:20 a.m. ET Aug. 30 and will be available to stream on the agency’s free NASA+ app, as well Amazon Prime, discovery+ and YouTube, the agency announced. Netflix, which provides coverage of select NASA missions, is not advertising the launch on its platform.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is expected to lead a post-launch news conference starting at 9:30 a.m. ET that will stream on YouTube.
Mission updates will also be available on NASA’s blog.
Livestream: Watch NASA launch coverage live
How to watch SpaceX coverage of launch
Because SpaceX is conducting the launch, the commercial spaceflight company will also provide a livestream of the liftoff. The webcast will be available beginning about one hour prior to the launch window opening on SpaceX’s website and on social media site X.
How long will the telescope be in space?
Here’s everything to know about NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Launching Aug. 30, 2026, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will study dark energy, hunt exoplanets and image the cosmos on a scale never seen before.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mission is expected to last five years, though NASA designed it for a five-year extension. The telescope will make its observations while about 930,000 miles from Earth, facing in a direction opposite the sun.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com