[NASA] Solar Panels for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Key Tests

[SpaceMan 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Both versions of the Solar Array Sun Shield for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope appear in this photo, taken in the largest clean room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The flight version ***** flat in the foreground, while the qualification assembly stands upright in the background. The flight panels will shade the mission’s instruments and power the observatory.

NASA/Chris Gunn

NASA’s

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

’s Solar Array Sun Shield has successfully completed recent tests, signaling that the assembly is on track to be completed on schedule. The panels are designed to power and shade the observatory, enabling all the mission’s observations and helping keep the instruments cool.

The Roman team has two sets of these panels –– one that will fly aboard the observatory and another as a test structure, used specifically for preliminary assessments.

Engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, evaluated the test version in a thermal vacuum chamber, which simulates the hot and cold temperatures and low-pressure environment the flight panels will experience in space. Since the panels will be stowed for launch, the team practiced deploying them in space-like conditions.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

The solar panels for NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are undergoing assessment in a test chamber at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in this photo.

NASA/Chris Gunn

Meanwhile, a vendor built up the flight version by fitting the panels with solar cells. After delivery to Goddard, technicians tested the solar cells by flashing the panels with a bright light that simulates the Sun.

“We save a significant amount of time and money by using two versions of the panels, because we can do a lot of preliminary tests on a spare while moving further in the process with the flight version,” said Jack Marshall, the Solar Array Sun Shield lead at NASA Goddard. “It streamlines the process and also avoids risking damage to the panels that will go on the observatory, should testing reveal a flaw.”

Next spring, the flight version of the Solar Array Sun Shield will be installed on the Roman spacecraft. Then, the whole spacecraft will go through thorough testing to ensure it will hold up during launch and perform as expected in space.

To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit:

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

By Ashley Balzer

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, Greenbelt, Md.

Media contact:

Claire Andreoli
*****@*****.tld

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940

Explore More

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

5 min read

NASA Tests Deployment of Roman Space Telescope’s ‘Visor’

Article 2 weeks ago

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

6 min read

How NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Will Illuminate Cosmic Dawn

Article 1 month ago

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png">

3 min read

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope’s ‘Eyes’ Pass First Vision Test

Article 4 months ago

Share

Details

Last Updated

Aug 26, 2024

Editor

Ashley Balzer

Contact

Ashley Balzer

*****@*****.tld

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center

Related Terms

• This is the hidden content, please

  • Sign In
  • or
  • Sign Up
• This is the hidden content, please

  • Sign In
  • or
  • Sign Up
• This is the hidden content, please

  • Sign In
  • or
  • Sign Up
• This is the hidden content, please

  • Sign In
  • or
  • Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up