@nasagoddard

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope primary and secondary mirrors have been integrated together at @l3harristech to create the Forward Optical Assembly! In honor of #GroundhogDay, our partners have tested the optics over and over again to make sure they are just right! The Forward Optical Assembly is the core of the telescope that directs light into Roman's two science instruments: the Wide Field instrument and the Coronagraph technology demonstration. Later this year, L3Harris will install hardware designed to separate the light these two components receive. Click the link in our bio to learn more about Roman's optical hardware! 📷Chris Gunn Image Description: 1:Wide view of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Forward Optical Assembly being lowered down onto a base. The structure is suspended about 10 feet in the air by support cables. The structure looks like a giant pencil tip with a blunt end. A wide ring at the bottom containing the primary mirror is connected to a smaller ring containing the secondary mirror above by six beams. Both rings appear to be covered in circuitry. Eight people wearing white protective gear stand on the ground by the base. 2:Side shot of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Forward Optical Assembly, which includes the primary and secondary mirrors and their support tubes. The primary mirror on the bottom has an outer shell around it that is covered in various wires that are red, white, blue, and grey. Six slender beams extend upward and inward to hold up the smaller secondary mirror. The beams are black and have wire/rope tied around them. There is a person to the right of the assembly, whose left arm is extended, holding a wire that is connected to the base mirror. 3:Wide view of the structure described above. People are wearing protective gear surrounding the base of the structure. Two people are to the left of the instrument, and four people are on the right. The structure is nearly twice as tall as the people.

February 03, 2023