L3Harris Technologies has delivered the Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) to NASA that serves as the critical “eye” for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope by providing precise and stable imagery.
“L3Harris is helping shape the future of space exploration for NASA by providing a key technology that will assist astronomers in their understanding of the cosmos,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “The measured optical performance exceeds any telescope we have ever produced in this size class.”
The telescope’s primary mirror is the major component within the OTA, and at 7.9 feet is the element that will collect light from exoplanets, stars, galaxies and supernovae. L3Harris tested the telescope’s mirrors down to -82 degrees Fahrenheit, verifying the precision of its optical alignment under extreme conditions, a capability that is crucial to the telescope’s performance when in orbit one million miles from Earth.
L3Harris built the telescope in Rochester, New York, and it is now being integrated and tested at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. NASA is scheduled to launch the observatory by May 2027.
