Roman Space Telescope Fires Engines For L2 Halo Orbit | Aviation Week

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Irene Klotz
August 31, 2026

Credit: NASA

The Roman Space Telescope began a three-month journey to L2 after separation from the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at 7:57 a.m. EDT Aug. 30.

Credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL—A day after its pinpoint deployment by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope fired its thrusters for the first time Aug. 31 to reach an operational orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2). From that vantage point, the telescope, named for NASA…

Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

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