NASA has successfully integrated the “bulletproof” sunshade onto its powerful Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a crucial step in enabling the observatory to make precise observations of faint objects across the universe. The deployable aperture cover will block stray light and maintain sensitivity in the infrared telescope.
The sunshade consists of two flexible layers of reinforced thermal blankets, designed to remain folded during launch and deploy once the telescope is in space. It operates like blackout blinds, allowing Roman to pick up faint light from distant objects. Engineers have conducted thorough tests on both the sunshade and outer barrel assembly separately before integrating them.
To ensure successful deployment, NASA used a gravity-negation system to offset the weight of the sunshade. The combined components will undergo thermal vacuum testing and a shake test to verify their functionality.
Roman is expected to launch no later than 2027 atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, bound for the sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2. Once in space, it will study exoplanets, dark energy, and other cosmic phenomena. The successful integration of the sunshade marks a significant milestone in the telescope’s development, offering astronomers improved sensitivity and accuracy for groundbreaking observations.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/nasa-installs-bulletproof-sunshade-on-powerful-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-photos