NASA is scheduled to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center at the end of August. Although the mission's primary objectives involve investigating dark matter, dark energy, and the expansion of the universe, researchers have identified a secondary application for the observatory: planetary defense.
Equipped with a 300-megapixel, wide-angle infrared camera, the telescope possesses a field of view approximately 100 times larger than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. This capability allows it to survey vast regions of space, making it well-suited to detect asteroids as small as 60 feet in diameter—roughly the size of the object that caused significant damage over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013. According to Bryan Holler of the Space Telescope Science Institute, the telescope's ability to scan large areas quickly could help prioritize which asteroids require further investigation.
While the telescope's current software is designed to discard "streaks" caused by moving objects as noise, planetary scientists suggest that these data points could be analyzed to track asteroid trajectories. By providing infrared observations, the Roman telescope can assist in determining an asteroid's size and composition, which are critical factors for assessing potential impact risks or planning deflection missions.
The Roman telescope is expected to function as part of a broader network of observatories, including the upcoming Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and the Vera Rubin Observatory. While the NEO Surveyor will serve as the primary mission for planetary defense, the Roman telescope’s unique vantage point and wide field of view will allow it to refine orbital data for objects identified by other instruments. This collaborative approach aims to ensure that limited telescope resources are focused on the most significant threats to Earth.
Source: MIT Technology Review
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