<div class="grid grid-cols-article-mobile md:max-w-[750px] md:grid-cols-article md:max-w-screen-sm" data-article-body="true"><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color"><i>When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.</i></p><figure class="relative col-body mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt=" A telescope with a triangular top wrapped in foil stands next to a scaffold with people wearing white clean suits examining it under green light. " loading="lazy" width="960" height="540" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="fig-image-round" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/QvkF6oGSOcX2H8EFDcQ44A--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/space_311/2b0b1e5f02a33ce1a567d32718ea09c7"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-[0.875rem]/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 pr-2.5"><div>The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope being inspected on terra firma. | Credit: NASA/Michael Guinto</div></figcaption></figure><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">In a scene that feels more like a midnight vigil than a routine inspection, NASA engineers and scientists gathered in near darkness inside a pristine cleanroom. Armed with flashlights and ultraviolet lamps, members of the <a href="https://www.space.com/nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope</u></a> team <a href="https://images.nasa.gov/details/GSFC_20250702_RST_037546" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:carefully examined;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>carefully examined</u></a> the observatory's primary mirror, searching for even the smallest trace of contamination.</p><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">The eerie green glow illuminating the cleanroom wasn't festive lighting but the result of a long exposure combined with a small indicator lamp on the wall, an unassuming signal that the airflow in the room was just right.</p><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">In its own way, it looked a bit like a high-tech holiday scene: dim lights, hushed voices, and a priceless object being checked one last time before a long journey.</p><h2 class="heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color">What is it?</h2><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">The Roman Space Telescope is one of NASA's next great observatories, designed to explore some of the biggest questions in modern astronomy. From probing the mysterious nature of <a href="https://www.space.com/dark-energy-what-is-it" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:dark energy;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>dark energy</u></a> to discovering thousands of new <a href="https://www.space.com/17738-exoplanets.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:exoplanets;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>exoplanets</u></a>, Roman will survey the universe with a wide-field view far beyond what previous space telescopes have achieved.</p><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">To do this science, Roman will employ extraordinarily sensitive optics, especially its primary mirror. Even microscopic dust particles or residues can scatter light and degrade observations. That's why inspections take place <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/roman-space-telescope/nasa-completes-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-construction/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:in cleanrooms;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>in cleanrooms</u></a> that are cleaner than hospital operating theaters, under lighting conditions carefully chosen to reveal what the naked eye might otherwise miss.</p><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">Ultraviolet light causes certain contaminants to fluoresce, making them easier to spot. The team's slow, methodical work under flashlights and UV lamps ensures that the mirror meets the strict standards required for spaceflight. It's meticulous, patient labor — more "silent night" than spotlight moment — but it is essential to the telescope's future success.</p><h2 class="heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color">Where is it?</h2><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">This image was taken at NASA's <a href="https://www.space.com/goddard-space-flight-center.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Goddard Space Flight Center;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>Goddard Space Flight Center</u></a> in Greenbelt, Maryland.</p><figure class="relative col-body mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="A telescope with a triangular top wrapped in foil stands next to a scaffold with people wearing white clean suits examining it under green light." loading="lazy" width="960" height="540" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="fig-image-round" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_.3xPHNowqRj3RJAEJ.BAg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/space_311/afcad88260d548a63e84e1cd102b25af"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-[0.875rem]/[1.25rem] figure-caption mt-1 line-clamp-2 pr-2.5"><div>The Roman Space Telescope gets carefully inspected for contaminants. | Credit: NASA/Michael Guinto</div></figcaption></figure><h2 class="heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color">Why is it amazing?</h2><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">Once Roman launches in late 2026 or early 2027, there will be no opportunity to wipe down a mirror or redo an inspection. Every careful check on Earth protects years of future science.</p><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">As Roman moves closer to launch, images like this remind us that the science of space telescopes starts in cleanrooms, with flashlights, UV light and people dedicated to making sure humanity's next window on the universe is as clear as possible.</p><h2 class="heading-mb col-body heading-text-style font-bold charcoal-color">Want to learn more?</h2><p class="col-body mb-4 leading-7 text-[18px] md:leading-8 break-words min-w-0 charcoal-color">You can learn more about the <a href="https://tech.yahoo.com/science/articles/nasas-next-gen-roman-space-230000547.html" data-ylk="slk:Roman Space Telescope;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" class="link  yahoo-link"><u>Roman Space Telescope</u></a> and <a href="https://www.space.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:astronomy.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link "><u>astronomy.</u></a></p></div>

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