NASA is naming its newest space telescope, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), after a woman in honor of one important woman.
According to a press release, the telescope is named after Nancy Grace Roman. Roman is NASA’s first chief astronomer, who paved the way for space telescopes focused on the broader universe.
Nancy Grace Roman | Image/NASA
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The telescope is now called the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope – or Roman Space Telescope, for short. It is set to launch in the mid-2020s to investigate long-standing astronomical mysteries
The WFIRST telescope | Image/NASA
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“It is because of Nancy Grace Roman’s leadership and vision that NASA became a pioneer in astrophysics and launched Hubble, the world’s most powerful and productive space telescope,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “I can think of no better name for WFIRST, which will be the successor to NASA’s Hubble and Webb Telescopes.”
Roman is also considered to be the “mother” of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, which launched 30 years ago.
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