NASA installs tribute plaque on Roman Space Telescope ahead of 2026 launch
Technicians placed a commemorative plaque on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, honoring NASA’s first chief astronomer and embedding a memory card with over 1.35 million public names.
In late July, NASA staff affixed a memorial plaque to the Roman Space Telescope, celebrating Dr. Nancy Grace Roman’s contributions to the agency’s science program. The plaque also contains a memory card holding 1,350,144 names submitted worldwide, among them astronauts from Artemis II and III. The observatory, slated for launch on Aug. 30, 2026, will use a starshade to directly image exoplanets and study dark energy and infrared astrophysics.
Why it matters
The plaque commemorates NASA’s pioneering astronomer and links the public to a major space mission that will advance exoplanet and dark-energy research.
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