Nasa's next-generation Nancy Grace Roman telescope successfully launched into space from Florida on Sunday morning. The mission aims to explore dark energy, black holes, and other mysteries of the Universe.
The telescope will capture vast panoramic views of space, with a field of vision significantly larger than the Hubble Space Telescope. It is embarking on a 100-day journey to a vantage point approximately one million miles from Earth.
Once in position, the telescope will begin charting exoplanets and conducting sweeping surveys to investigate dark energy and dark matter. Nasa administrator Nicky Fox stated that Roman is expected to discover tens of thousands, potentially up to 100,000, new exoplanets.
The telescope is named after physicist Nancy Grace Roman, Nasa's first chief astronomer and first female executive. Its primary lifespan is five years, with an operational goal of 10 years.