DOWNTOWN ORLANDO, I’M JUSTIN SCHECKER, WESH TWO NEWS. THE WIDE EYED COUSIN. THAT’S THE NICKNAME FOR THE NEW TELESCOPE THAT COULD HELP ANSWER THE QUESTION ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE? I LIKE THE NICKNAME NASA, SAYS A NANCY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE CAN CAPTURE 100 TIMES MORE THAN STANDARD IMAGES FROM THEIR PREVIOUS TELESCOPES. IT WILL GIVE ASTRONOMERS A BETTER VIEW TO PIECE THE UNIVERSE TOGETHER. IT GETS ITS NAME FROM THE LATE DOCTOR NANCY GRACE, NASA’S FIRST CHIEF OF ASTRONOMY AND THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD AN EXECUTIVE POSITION AT NASA. WE SPOKE WITH THE INTEGRATION AND TEST LEAD FOR THIS TELESCOPE WHILE HE WAS INSIDE THE CLEAN ROOM THIS MORNING, AS CREWS PREPARE FOR THE SENDOFF AT THE GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER IN MARYLAND TO KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. AND HE GAVE US A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THIS TELESCOPE CAN REALLY DO AND HOW IT WILL USE EXISTING TELESCOPES TO HELP IT OUT. IF YOU LOOK AT, SAY, LIKE A BASEBALL STADIUM, ROMAN CAN LOOK INTO THAT STADIUM AND SEE THE NAMES OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL. THAT’S THERE. PLAYERS, SPECTATORS CAN SEE ALL THAT DETAIL. IF WE USE WEBB, WE COULD GO IN AND LOOK AT AN INDIVIDUAL PLAYER AND SEE ALL THE DETAILS THEIR FAMILY HISTORY, THEIR TREE DOWN TO THAT LEVEL, EVERYTHING, BASICALLY. THIS DATA WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US INSTANTLY. THE WORK STARTED I
New NASA telescope can capture images in extraordinary detail
Updated: 2:10 PM EDT May 22, 2026
A new NASA telescope could potentially inform us if there are other life forms beyond our planet.According to NASA, the Nancy Grace Roman telescope can capture 100 times more than the standard image from its previous telescope. “If you look at, say, a baseball stadium, Roman can look into that stadium and see the names of every individual that’s there: players, spectators—can see all that detail,” Integration and Test Lead Jack Marshall says.The hope is that the telescope will give astronomers a better view to piece the universe together. The telescope, nicknamed the “Wide-Eyed Cousin,” is named after the late former Chief of Astronomy Dr. Nancy Grace. Grace was also the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA. Work on the project began 2016 and Roman is expected to launch from the Space Coast in September, making it both ahead of schedule and on budget.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
A new NASA telescope could potentially inform us if there are other life forms beyond our planet.
According to NASA, the Nancy Grace Roman telescope can capture 100 times more than the standard image from its previous telescope.
“If you look at, say, a baseball stadium, Roman can look into that stadium and see the names of every individual that’s there: players, spectators—can see all that detail,” Integration and Test Lead Jack Marshall says.
The hope is that the telescope will give astronomers a better view to piece the universe together.
The telescope, nicknamed the “Wide-Eyed Cousin,” is named after the late former Chief of Astronomy Dr. Nancy Grace.
Grace was also the first woman to hold an executive position at NASA.
Work on the project began 2016 and Roman is expected to launch from the Space Coast in September, making it both ahead of schedule and on budget.