NASA has signed a contract with SpaceX to deliver the new Roman Space Telescope into orbit. At the moment, the project is under development, the launch is planned to take place between October 2026 and March 2027, according to Forbes..

The telescope will be launched using a Falcon Heavy launch vehicle. SpaceX will receive $255 million for the launch.

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Roman Space Telescope is seen as a direct successor to the Hubble telescope. The diameter of its main mirror will be 2.4 meters - the same as that of the Hubble. At the same time, the new device will have a 100 times wider field of view, thanks to the wide-angle lens..

The telescope is expected to cost between $3.2 billion and $3.9 billion..

Roman Space Telescope will search for Earth-like exoplanets. In addition, the images taken by the telescope will be used to create a map of the Milky Way, as well as a more detailed study of other galaxies in the universe.. The device will also study dark matter and dark energy..

Roman Space Telescope is expected to be able to find thousands of eco-planets, including rogue planets.

Previously, scientists studied data collected by the James Webb telescope and found in them what is probably the most distant known galaxy.. It appeared 300 million years after the Big Bang.