>> HELLO, AND WELCOME
TO ANOTHER VIRTUAL EPISODE
OF "NASA SCIENCE LIVE."
I'M AMBER STRAUGHN,
AN ASTROPHYSICIST AT NASA.
ON TODAY'S EPISODE,
WE'RE GONNA BE
MAKING HISTORY WITH
A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
ABOUT AN UPCOMING MISSION
AT NASA, SO DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT
ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS,
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
OF OUR UNIVERSE.
IN THE MID 2020s,
NASA WILL LAUNCH WFIRST,
A SPACE TELESCOPE THAT WILL
ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING
OF DARK ENERGY, AN ENIGMA
THAT HAS PUZZLED ASTRONOMERS
LIKE MYSELF FOR DECADES.
DARK ENERGY IS A FORM OF ENERGY
THAT MAKES UP ABOUT 2/3
OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE,
AND YET WE DON'T KNOW
MUCH ABOUT IT AT ALL.
THE WFIRST MISSION WILL
ALSO SEARCH FOR PLANETS
BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
KNOWN AS EXOPLANETS,
AND WILL MEASURE LIGHT
FROM A BILLION GALAXIES
OVER THE COURSE
OF THE MISSION LIFETIME.
SOUNDS INCREDIBLE, RIGHT?
IT WILL BE.
LET'S TAKE A DEEPER DIVE
INTO THE WFIRST MISSION
TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE.
>> THE UNIVERSE.
FOR ALL WE HAVE
LEARNED ABOUT IT,
WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN
TO REVEAL ITS SECRETS.
WHAT ARE DARK MATTER
AND DARK ENERGY?
HOW COMMON ARE PLANETARY
ARRANGEMENTS LIKE OUR OWN?
AND HOW MANY PLANETS
IN OUR GALAXY HAVE POTENTIAL
TO HARBOR LIFE?
WFIRST, THE WIDE-FIELD
INFRARED SURVEY TELESCOPE,
WILL HELP ANSWER THESE
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS.
WFIRST IS SIMILAR TO HUBBLE,
BUT WITH THE BENEFIT
OF 30 YEARS
OF TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT.
EACH IMAGE FROM ITS
WIDE-FIELD INSTRUMENT
WILL HAVE THE DEPTH AND CLARITY
OF HUBBLE'S BEST,
BUT CAPTURE A SKY AREA
100 TIMES LARGER.
WFIRST WILL TAKE THE LEAD
IN EXPLORING DARK ENERGY
AND DARK MATTER.
WE ONLY KNOW THEY EXIST
BY THEIR EFFECTS
ON OBSERVABLE MATTER,
YET THESE TWO
MYSTERIOUS COMPONENTS
MAKE UP 95% OF THE UNIVERSE.
WFIRST'S POWERFUL
2.4-METER MIRROR
AND ENORMOUS FIELD OF VIEW
WILL ALSO HELP US
IN THE SEARCH FOR PLANETS
BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
OR EXOPLANETS.
IT WILL WATCH
FOR GRAVITATIONAL
MICROLENSING EVENTS,
CAUSED WHEN A PLANET
AND ITS HOST STAR PASS
IN FRONT OF A BACKGROUND STAR.
SUCH EVENTS ARE RARE,
SO CATCHING THEM
REQUIRES WATCHING
LARGE SWATHS OF THE SKY.
TO DEEPEN ITS STUDY
OF EXOPLANETS,
WFIRST WILL HOUSE
A BEYOND-STATE-OF-THE-ART
CORONAGRAPH THAT WILL
DIRECTLY IMAGE AND ANALYZE
NEPTUNE-SIZED PLANETS IN ORBITS
SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN EARTH'S,
A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT
OVER CURRENT CAPABILITIES.
WFIRST WILL HELP US ANSWER
MANY OF THE BIGGEST
COSMIC QUESTIONS.
ITS WIDE-FIELD VIEW
AND CORONAGRAPH WILL
COMPLEMENT MISSIONS
LIKE NASA'S JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE
AND TRANSITING EXOPLANET
SURVEY SATELLITE, TESS.
WFIRST WILL BE
AN INDISPENSABLE PART
OF SPACE SCIENCE DURING
THE NEXT DECADE AND BEYOND.
>> WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MISSION
IS THIS GONNA BE.
I'M SO EXCITED
TO BE HERE TALKING
ABOUT THIS SCIENCE TODAY.
AND JOINING ME NOW IS
THE ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR
FOR SCIENCE AT NASA,
THOMAS ZURBUCHEN.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, THOMAS?
>> I'M DOING GREAT, AMBER.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> DOING GOOD, DOING GOOD.
I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE
A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
TO SHARE WITH US TODAY.
DO YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD
AND TELL US WHAT THAT IS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I'M SO EXCITED THAT WE'RE
RENAMING THE WFIRST MISSION.
UH, WE KNEW ALL ALONG
THAT WE WANTED TO NAME IT,
UH, YOU KNOW, IN A WAY
WE HAVE BEFORE,
AFTER A PERSON WHO'S
REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ASTRONOMY,
VERY INFLUENTIAL FOR NASA.
AND I THINK WE FOUND
JUST THE RIGHT PERSON AGAIN.
AND, UH, FRANKLY, THE PERSON
WE WANT TO RENAME THIS AFTER
IS A PERSON WHO HAD
HUGE INFLUENCE IN ALL
OF ASTRONOMY AND SPACE.
IT'S A PERSON
WHO IMAGINED THE INFLUENCE
OF SPACE ASTRONOMY
BEFORE OTHERS EVEN THOUGHT THAT
THAT'S POSSIBLE.
IT'S A PERSON WHO IMAGINED
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
BEFORE IT HAD A NAME,
BEFORE IT WAS EVEN A CONCEPT,
AND WAS THERE ALL ALONG, UH,
FROM THE IDEA TO MAKING
THAT TELESCOPE A REALITY.
WHEN FACED WITH CHALLENGES,
THIS PERSON PERSEVERED,
PUSHED BEYOND
THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES,
AND, UH, BECAME
A LEADER OF THE ENTIRE
ASTROPHYSICS COMMUNITY
IN A TIME WHEN WOMEN
WERE ACTIVELY DISCOURAGED
FROM CAREERS OF SCIENCE
AND ASTRONOMY AND MATHEMATICS
AND SO FORTH.
SHE BECAME AN ASTRONOMER.
AND SHE BECAME
THE HIGHEST RANKING WOMAN
IN NASA DURING A TIME
WHERE THERE WERE VERY FEW
THAT MADE IT UP THE LADDER.
SHE CONTINUED TO BE
AN ADVOCATE FOR HUBBLE
EVEN AFTER HER RETIREMENT.
AND THAT'S WHY, TODAY,
I'M SO EXCITED THAT WE CAN
RENAME THIS TELESCOPE,
FOR IT TO BECOME
THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE.
>> IT'S HARD TO DECIDE
HOW HISTORY WILL VIEW
MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
PEOPLE GENERALLY
AREN'T TERRIBLY INTERESTED
IN WHAT GETS THINGS STARTED,
AND SO I'M NOT SURE
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MUCH
OF AN IDEA OF MY ROLE.
>> NANCY GRACE ROMAN SERVED
AS THE FIRST CHIEF OF ASTRONOMY
IN NASA'S OFFICE
OF SPACE SCIENCE,
THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD
AN EXECUTIVE POSITION
WITHIN THE AGENCY.
SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL
IN THE EARLY PLANNING
OF NASA'S FIRST
GREAT SPACE OBSERVATORY,
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE,
EARNING HER THE NICKNAME,
"THE MOTHER OF HUBBLE."
TO HONOR HER,
NASA HAS GIVEN HER NAME
TO ONE OF ITS MOST POWERFUL
UPCOMING SPACE OBSERVATORIES.
WFIRST, THE WIDE-FIELD
INFRARED SURVEY TELESCOPE
IS NOW THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE.
NANCY GRACE WAS BORN IN 1925
AND DEVELOPED AN INTEREST
IN ASTRONOMY AT AN EARLY AGE.
>> I JUST WAS FASCINATED.
BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE
I ORGANIZED MY FRIENDS
INTO AN ASTRONOMY CLUB
TO STUDY THE CONSTELLATIONS.
I CERTAINLY DID NOT
RECEIVE ANY ENCOURAGEMENT.
I WAS TOLD FROM THE BEGINNING
THAT WOMEN COULD NOT
BE SCIENTISTS.
>> NANCY GRACE PERSEVERED
AND GRADUATED FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
IN 1949 WITH A DOCTORATE
IN ASTRONOMY,
DESPITE CONTINUING
TO ENCOUNTER DISCRIMINATION.
>> MY THESIS PROFESSOR--
THERE WAS A PERIOD IN WHICH
HE WENT FOR SIX MONTHS
WITHOUT SPEAKING TO ME,
EVEN WHEN I SAID HELLO
TO HIM IN THE HALL.
HE-HE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME.
>> AFTER SEVERAL YEARS
OF RESEARCH,
NASA CAME CALLING.
>> I STARTED IN NASA IN 1959.
IT WAS SIX MONTHS OLD.
BEING THE FIRST
EXECUTIVE WOMAN AT NASA
TURNED OUT NOT TO BE
TERRIBLY, UH, EVENTFUL.
UH, I WAS ACCEPTED VERY READILY
AS A SCIENTIST IN MY JOB.
>> DURING HER 21 YEARS AT NASA,
DR. ROMAN WAS INVOLVED
IN THE DEVELOPMENT
AND LAUNCH OF MANY SPACE-BASED
OBSERVATORIES WHICH STUDIED
THE SUN, DEEP SPACE,
AND THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.
HER MOST ENDURING LEGACY AT NASA
WAS THE PLANNING OF HUBBLE
AND ITS SCIENCE PROGRAM.
SHE DID MUCH
OF THE EARLY ADVOCACY
AND ESTABLISHED
THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE
WHICH LAID THE FOUNDATION
FOR OTHER LARGE NASA MISSIONS
THAT FOLLOWED
AND HELPED CONVINCE
THE ASTRONOMICAL COMMUNITY
TO SUPPORT ASTRONOMY FROM SPACE.
AFTER RETIRING FROM NASA,
DR. ROMAN STAYED INVOLVED
IN THE SPACE COMMUNITY
AND RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS
FOR HER PIONEERING WORK.
OVER HER CAREER,
SHE INSPIRED GENERATIONS
OF YOUNG ASTRONOMERS.
NOW WITH THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE,
HER LEGACY CAN CONTINUE
TO INSPIRE GENERATIONS MORE.
>> DR. ROMAN REALLY DESERVES
TO BE PERMANENTLY ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS AMAZING MISSION
THAT SHE REALLY HELPED ENABLE
IN A DIRECT FASHION.
AND I'M SO DELIGHTED
TO HAVE THAT NAME THERE
AS A LASTING LEGACY
TO THIS AMAZING PERSON THAT
I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT.
AND, UH, ESPECIALLY
WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME
IS THAT REALLY
NANCY GRACE ROMAN
DESERVES A PLACE
IN THE HEAVENS SHE STUDIED
AND OPENED FOR SO MANY.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT, AMBER?
>> YEAH I MEAN IT'S--
IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE,
AND SHE'S SO DESERVING, UH,
TO HAVE THIS TELESCOPE
NAMED AFTER HER.
YOU KNOW, I WAS IN
THE FIFTH GRADE
WHEN HUBBLE LAUNCHED.
AND I REMEMBER THAT--
BEING A KID
AND SEEING THE HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE LAUNCH,
AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
THAT REALLY SOLIDIFIED IN ME
MY DESIRE TO BE AN ASTRONOMER.
SO, UM, WILL YOU TELL US
A LITTLE BIT, THOMAS,
ABOUT HOW THIS, UH, DECISION
WAS MADE FOR THIS TELESCOPE
TO BE NAMED AFTER DR. ROMAN?
>> SO YOU SHOULD KNOW, YOU KNOW,
IF YOU'RE IN A JOB LIKE MINE,
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
WITH A LOT OF IDEAS
THAT COME TO YOU, UH,
AND THAT DOES NOT SURPRISE YOU.
AND-AND ONE OF THE THINGS
I NOTICED REALLY QUICKLY
IS THAT WHENEVER
WE TALKED ABOUT WFIRST,
THERE WAS ONE NAME
THAT ALWAYS POPPED UP,
AND IT IS NANCY GRACE ROMAN.
OF COURSE, I STARTED
TO LEARN ABOUT THIS
AND, UH, ACTUALLY DID WORK.
I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, UH,
LEARNED ABOUT HER PASSING AWAY,
LEARNED ABOUT THE GREAT ARTICLES
THAT WERE WRITTEN BY SO MANY.
AND I LEARNED ABOUT HER LEGACY,
INCLUDING THE FIRST
SPACE TELESCOPE SERIES,
THE ORBITAL
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES
AND OR-ORBITAL
SOLAR OBSERVATORIES
IN THE '60s AND '70s.
AND THEN OF THE MORE YOU--
I HEARD AND LEARNED ABOUT THIS,
THE MORE EXCITED
I GOT ABOUT, UH,
NAMING IT, UH, TO THAT.
AND ULTIMATELY, OF COURSE,
THIS IS A DECISION OF, UH--
THE ADMINISTRATOR
WAS JUST AS ENTHUSIASTIC
ONCE WE TALKED ABOUT, UH,
THE OPTIONS HERE.
>> YEAH, IT'S--
IT'S JUST SO EXCITING.
UM, I THINK-- AGAIN, I THINK
SHE'S JUST A PERFECT NAMESAKE
FOR THIS TELESCOPE.
UH, CAN YOU TALK
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
SOME OF HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
THAT, UH, SORT OF LED
TO THIS DECISION?
>> YOU KNOW,
ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS
ABOUT HER IS THAT
SHE JOINED THE AGENCY,
LIKE, WHEN THE AGENCY
WAS SIX MONTHS OLD, RIGHT?
SO AS REALLY ONE
OF THE PIONEERS, UH,
FROM THE BEGINNING THERE--
AND-AND REALLY, SHE ESTABLISHED
THE MOST IMPORTANT KIND
OF POLICIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
THAT HAVE GOTTEN US
TO WHERE WE ARE IN,
UH, SPACE ASTRONOMY.
AND SO FOR ME,
IT'S JUST FOR THAT REASON,
THAT VISION, THAT FORESIGHT.
YOU KNOW, OF COURSE,
THERE'S SOME OF THE OTHERS
ON THE OUTSIDE,
BUT WITH THAT LEADERSHIP
ON THE INSIDE OF THE AGENCY,
UH, THAT REALLY MAKES HER,
I THINK, THE ONLY NAME
THAT IS APPROPRIATE
FOR THIS LARGE SPACE TELESCOPE
THAT WE'RE BUILDING NOW,
UH, THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE.
BUT HOW DO YOU THINK
ABOUT IT, AMBER?
>> YEAH, I MEAN IT'S--
SEEING WOMEN LIKE THIS
WHO ARE TRAILBLAZERS
IN ASTRONOMY BE HONORED
IN THIS WAY IS-- IT'S JUST--
IT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY
I'VE LOOKED UP TO WOMEN
LIKE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
AND SOME OF THE OTHER PIONEERS
IN ASTRONOMY OVER THE YEARS.
AND SO IT-- IT REALLY--
IT MAKES ME FEEL GREAT
TO KNOW THAT THIS AWESOME
SPACE TELESCOPE HAS BEEN,
UH, NAMED AFTER HER.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US, THOMAS,
TO MAKE THIS
EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT.
>> THANKS TO YOU.
>> WHAT AN INCREDIBLE WOMAN.
RAISED IN A TIME WHEN
WOMEN WERE DISCOURAGED
FROM PURSUING SCIENCE,
SHE NOT ONLY SUCCEEDED
IN ESTABLISHING HERSELF
AS A SCIENTIFIC LEADER,
BUT SHE'S LEFT A LEGACY
FOR THE ASTRONOMERS
OF TODAY AND TOMORROW.
I'M JOINED NOW
BY TWO MORE EXPERTS,
JULIE McENERNY, NASA ROMAN
DEPUTY PROJECT SCIENTIST,
AND ELISA QUINTANA,
NASA ROMAN DEPUTY SCIENTIST
FOR COMMUNICATIONS.
ELISA AND JULIE,
AS MEMBERS OF THE TEAM,
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU
THAT THIS MISSIONS
IS BEING NAMED
AFTER NANCY GRACE ROMAN?
>> I FOUND IT
TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING,
UH, THAT THE OBSERVATORY
IS BEING-- ER, BEING RENAMED,
UH, FOR TWO REASONS.
UM, FIRSTLY I THINK
IT'S A MARK OF HOW FAR
THE MISSION HAS COME,
UM, THAT WE ARE BEING RENAMED.
UM, IT SAYS SOMETHING
ABOUT HOW FAR, UH,
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MISSION--
THAT WE'RE A REAL THING,
UM, THAT, UH-- THAT STUFF IS
ACTUALLY REALLY BEING BUILT.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT
AND FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE,
I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT
THE MISSION IS BEING RENAMED
AFTER NANCY GRACE ROMAN.
UH, SHE'S SOMEBODY I REALLY,
UM-- I'VE REALLY ADMIRED.
UM, AND I-- IT MAKES ME
EXCITED AND PROUD, UH,
TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH, UM--
UH, WITH A MISSION
THAT'S NAMED AFTER HER,
AND THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT,
UM, I'M GOING TO, UH, ENJOY
DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY
AS THE MISSION CONTINUES.
>> GREAT.
ELISA, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> WELL, I HAVE
SO MUCH ADMIRATION
FOR NANCY GRACE ROMAN.
UM, SHE BELIEVED THAT
SHE COULD BE AN ASTRONOMER,
UH, DURING A TIME
WHEN THERE WERE
SO MANY BARRIERS TO WOMEN,
UH, PURSUING CAREERS IN SCIENCE.
UH, SHE THEN WENT ON
TO BECOME A LEADER
AND A VISIONARY AT NASA,
UM, REALLY WORKING
TO FACILITATE, YOU KNOW,
THE DEVELOPMENT
OF ASTRONOMY MISSIONS.
UM, WHAT SHE REALLY BELIEVED IN
WAS INVESTING IN MISSIONS
THAT WOULD BE USEFUL FOR,
YOU KNOW, FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND SO I'M REALLY HONORED
TO BE PART OF THE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE, UM, MISSION.
AND Y-- I'M REALLY PLEASED,
UM, THAT THIS MISSION
IS BEING NAMED AFTER HER.
>> I HAVE A FEW MORE QUESTIONS
FOR YOU, JULIE AND ELISA.
FIRST, WHY IS IT APPROPRIATE
TO NAME WFIRST AFTER
NANCY GRACE ROMAN?
>> NANCY GRACE ROMAN
WAS THE, UM, DRIVING FORCE
BEHIND, UH-- BEHIND HUBBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS, UH,
REALLY ONE OF THE PEOPLE
WHO, UH, MADE THAT MISSION
COME INTO, UH, BEING.
AND ONE-- ONE OF THE THINGS
I REALLY ADMIRE ABOUT
NANCY GRACE ROMAN
IS THAT SHE, UM-- SHE HAD, UH,
THE SCIENTIFIC SKILLS
AND THE TECHNICAL SKILLS
AND THE MANAGEMENT SKILLS
AND THE, UH, UNDERSTANDING
AND KNOWLEDGE OF HOW
THE SYSTEM WORKED, UM,
SO THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO BRING
ALL OF THESE THINGS-- UM,
THESE THINGS TOGETHER TO,
UM, MAKE HUBBLE HAPPEN.
UM, SHE WAS VERY INSIGHTFUL.
AND I THINK IT'S--
UH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT,
UM, TO RECOGNIZE THAT,
UH, LARGE NASA MISSIONS
TAKE MORE THAN JUST BEING
A GOOD SCIENTIST
OR TAKE MORE THAN JUST BEING--
UM, UH, BEING A GOOD ENGINEER.
THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UH,
PEOPLE LIKE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
WHO REALLY UNDERSTOOD
THE DETAILS OF ALL
OF THOSE THINGS AND COULD--
UM, UH, COULD BRING THEM,
UH, TOGETHER.
>> TOTALLY AGREE.
ELISA, COULD YOU
TELL US YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> SURE, UM, SO I THINK
IT'S REALLY COOL THAT SHE,
UM, JOINED NASA IN 1959.
SO THIS IS VERY SOON
AFTER NASA WAS CREATED.
UM, SHE WAS THE FIRST
CHIEF OF ASTRONOMY,
UH, THE FIRST WOMAN
EXECUTIVE AT NASA.
AND SHE REALLY ADVOCATED,
UM, YOU KNOW PUTTING
ASTRONOMY INSTRUMENTS IN SPACE.
UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE
OF HER AND PEOPLE
LIKE HER THAT, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE MISSIONS LIKE WFIRST.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW,
NASA DOESN'T JUST BUILD
MISSIONS FOR SCIENCE
THAT WE KNOW ABOUT TODAY.
UH, YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE
A VISIONARY LIKE
NANCY GRACE ROMAN,
UM, TO DEVELOP INSTRUMENTS
THAT ARE GONNA LET US EXPLORE
AND, YOU KNOW,
REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND
THE UNKNOWN MYSTERIES,
UM, IN THE UNIVERSE.
AND, UH, WFIRST IS
GONNA BE REALLY EXCITING.
UM, WE ANTICIPATE MANY,
MANY NEW DISCOVERIES.
AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THIS IS-
IS BECAUSE OF THE FOUNDATION
THAT NANCY GRACE ROMAN,
UH, PUT DOWN.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
SO COULD YOU BOTH
TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THE MISSION?
WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE SCIENCE GOALS
OF THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE?
>> SO TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE, UH, SCIENCE
GAIL-- ER, GOALS
OF THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE,
UM, I NEED TO TELL YOU FIRST
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
HOW, UH-- ABOUT, UH--
ABOUT THE OBSERVATORY ITSELF.
UM, THE MIRROR ON, UH,
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
IS THE SAME SIZE AS THE MIRROR
ON THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.
BUT THE MAIN SCIENCE INSTRUMENT,
UH, THE WIDE-FIELD INSTRUMENT,
HAS A FIELD OF VIEW
A 100 TIMES LARGER.
THAT MEANS THAT AT ANY INSTANT
WHEN, UH, THE ROMAN OBSERVATORY
IS VIEWING THE UNIVERSE,
IT WILL SEE A SWATH OF THE SKY
THAT IS 100 TIMES LARGER.
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE, UH,
ALSO OBSERVES MORE EFFICIENTLY,
CAN MOVE FROM ONE PLACE
TO THE OTHER MORE QUICKLY.
IT SPENDS A LARGER FRACTION
OF ITS TIME, UM,
LOOKING AT THE SKY.
UM, SO WITH THIS WE'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO VIEW
THE SKY IN A NEW WAY.
UH, WE WILL BE SURVEYING
THE SKY, UM, LOOKING ACROSS
LARGE AREAS-- OR LOOKING
AT PLACES WHERE WE DON'T KNOW
WHEN TO EXPECT SOMETHING, UH,
BUT WE'RE SIMPLY MONITORING IT.
AND THIS IS A DIFFERENT--
VERY DIFFERENT TO POINTING
AT A SPECIFIC, UH, OBJECT
WITH A TELESCOPE
THAT HAS A MUCH, UH,
SMALLER PART OF THE SKY
THAT IT VIEWS AT ANY INSTANT.
SO WITH THE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE,
WE'RE GOING TO SEE HUNDREDS
OF MILLIONS OF GALAXIES.
AND WE'RE GONNA MEASURE
PRECISELY THE DISTANCE
AND POSITION OF EACH
OF THOSE GALAXIES.
FOR A FRACTION OF THEM,
WE'RE GOING TO VERY PRECISELY
MEASURE THE SHAPE
OF THOSE GALAXIES.
AND WE CAN USE THIS INFORMATION,
UM, TO STUDY THE STRUCTURE
AND EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE.
WE CAN ALSO EXPLORE,
UM, OUR, UH, SKY
IN OTHER WAYS AS WELL.
WE PLAN TO PICK A REGION
OF THE SKY AND GO BACK
TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
AND IN THIS REGION OF THE SKY
WHERE THERE ARE HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF GALAXIES,
UM, IF A STAR
IN ANY OF THOSE GALAXIES,
UH, GOES SUPERNOVA--
THAT MEANS IT EXPLODES
AT THE END OF ITS LIFE--
WFIRST WILL BE ABLE
TO FIND THAT.
AND WE WILL HAVE, UH,
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SUPERNOVA,
UH, DISCOVERED WITH WFIRST
BY THE, UH, END OF THE MISSION.
AND WE CAN USE THOSE
TO STUDY THOSE EXPLODING STARS.
WE CAN USE, ER,
THE INFORMATION FROM THAT
AS A DIFFERENT WAY
TO UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE
AND EVOLUTION OF THE--
OF THE UNIVERSE.
AND THEN FINALLY
WHEN YOU EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE
IN A WAY THAT YOU'RE JUST
LOOKING TO SEE WHAT'S THERE,
RATHER THAN LOOKING
AT A PARTICULAR SPOT,
YOU'RE NO LONGER LOOKING
UNDER THE, UH, LAMP POST.
UM, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO FIND THE THINGS
THAT YOU DIDN'T EXPECT,
SO I'M CONFIDENT THAT
THE MOST EXCITING SCIENCE RETURN
FROM THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL BE THINGS THAT
WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO FIND.
>> THAT'S SO GREAT.
AND FOR ME THAT'S ONE
OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS
ABOUT ANY TELESCOPE THAT NASA
PUTS INTO SPACE IS THOSE--
SORT OF THOSE SURPRISES
THAT ARE OUT THERE
IN THE UNIVERSE
WAITING FOR US TO-TO FIND THEM.
ELISA, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS
ON THE EXCITING SCIENCE
OF THIS MIS-- THIS NEW MISSION
WILL DISCOVER?
>> SURE, SO IN ADDITION
TO ALL THE AMAZING DISCOVERIES,
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER GOALS
OF WFIRST IS TO DISCOVER
AND EXPLORE EXOPLANETS.
SO THESE ARE PLANETS
ORBITING STARS OUTSIDE
OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
UH, WE CURRENTLY KNOW
OF OVER 4,000 PLANETS
OUTSIDE OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
UM, BOTH MOST OF THESE
WERE DISCOVERED WITH
A TECHNIQUE CALLED
THE TRANSIT TECHNIQUE.
UM, SO YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR
WITH THE KEPLER
AND TESS MISSIONS.
UM, SO WFIRST WILL USE
A DIFFERENT TECHNIQUE
CALLED MICROLENSING.
UM, IT USES
A LIGHT-BENDING PHENOMENON,
UH, TO DISCOVER PLANETS
ON MUCH WIDER ORBITS
THAN WE PREVIOUSLY KNEW OF.
AND SO, UM, THESE ARE
ORBITS COMPARABLE, UH,
TO VENUS'S OUT TO PLUTO,
UM, THESE PLANETS ON THESE,
YOU KNOW, COLDER ORBITS.
UH, SO WHAT WE LEARN
WITH WFIRST MICROLENSING
COMBINED WITH KEPLER
AND TESS IS REALLY
GONNA ALLOW US TO COMPLETE
THE CENSUS OF PLANETARY
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES.
UM, THIS IS GONNA ALLOW US
TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW,
QUESTIONS LIKE HOW DOES
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FIT, UM,
YOU KNOW, IN THE GRAND PICTURE
OF PLANET FORMATION?
UM, WFIRST WILL ALSO HAVE
A CORONAGRAPH TECHNOLOGY,
UH, DEMO INSTRUMENT.
UM, THIS IS AN INSTRUMENT
THAT'S GOING TO DIRECTLY
IMAGE EXOPLANETS, UH,
BY BLOCKING OUT A STAR'S LIGHT.
SO YOU CAN SEE
MUCH FAINTER, PLANETS,
UM, ORBITING THESE.
AND, UH, WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE
TO IMAGE DUSTY DISKS WHICH FORM
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF PLANETS.
AND SO IT'S REALLY GONNA,
UM, ALLOW US TO EXPLORE
THIS WHOLE NEW DISCOVERY SPACE
OF PLANETS AND-
AND HOW THEY FORM
AND ALSO PUSH THE LIMITS
WITH TECHNOLOGY.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE SPEND--
ER, SEND UP INTO SPACE?
>> THAT'S SO EXCITING.
YOU KNOW, MY OWN
PERSONAL RESEARCH IS,
UH, ABOUT GALAXIES.
I'M INTERESTED
IN HOW GALAXIES CHANGE
OVER BILLIONS OF YEARS.
BUT I THINK SOME
OF THE EXOPLANET SCIENCE
THAT THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL DO IS GONNA BE
SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING
STUFF THAT WE LEARN.
SO, UH, WE'VE HEARD A LOT TODAY
ABOUT THE IMPACT
THAT NANCY GRACE ROMAN
HAS HAD ON THE FIELD
OF ASTRONOMY IN GENERAL.
HOW WILL THIS ENCOURAGE
FUTURE GENERATIONS OF GIRLS?
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S-- I MEAN,
IT'S FANTASTIC THAT THIS
OBSERVATORY IS BEING, UH--
BEING, UH, NAMED
AFTER NANCY GRACE, UH, ROMAN.
UM, SHE DESERVES IT.
HER CONTRIBUTIONS, UM,
NOT JUST TO, UM,
UH, DEVELOPING
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE,
BUT IN DEVELOPING ASTRONOMY, UM,
UH, IN THE EARLY DAYS OF NASA,
UH, ALL ACROSS, UM,
THE VARIOUS DIFFERENT, UH,
ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES
THAT NASA LAUNCHED IS-IS
REALLY, TRULY EXTRAORDINARY.
I'M DELIGHTED THAT
THIS OBSERVATORY HAS BEEN
CHOSEN TO BE NAMED AFTER,
UH, NANCY GRACE, UH, ROMAN.
UM, BUT WHAT--
IT'S ALSO REALLY, UH, NICE
THAT SHE HAPPENS TO BE, UH--
TO BE A WOMAN.
I THINK, UH, THAT IS
IMPORTANT FOR, UM, UH--
FOR YOUNG GIRLS TO SEE,
UM, WHAT'S POSSIBLE
AND TO SEE SOMEBODY WHO IS,
UM, MORE LIKE THEM, UM, BEING,
UH, ACKNOWLEDGED IN THIS WAY,
WHICH WILL ENCOURAGE,
UH, PEOPLE TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY
AT WHAT SHE DID ACHIEVE,
UM, THROUGH HER LIFE.
AND I THINK WE CAN ALL DERIVE
SOME INSPIRATION FROM THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY AGREE.
ELISA, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> UM, SO YOU KNOW,
NANCY GRACE ROMAN ACCOMPLISHED
SO MUCH IN HER LIFE.
UM, I-I REALLY RESPECT
HOW MUCH SHE WAS ABLE
TO ACCOMPLISH, YOU KNOW,
DURING THIS TIME WHEN
THERE REALLY WEREN'T
VERY MANY ROLE MODELS OF,
YOU KNOW, WOMEN IN SCIENCE
OR IN SPACE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, NOWADAYS
ALMOST EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.
IT'S ENABLED SO MUCH SCIENCE
OVER THE PAST FEW DECADES
AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES SUCH--
SO MANY AMAZING DISCOVERIES.
AND SO COMING UP IN--
YOU KNOW, SOON AND OVER
THE NEXT FEW DECADES,
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE
THE SAME EXPERIENCE
WITH THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE.
UH, PEOPLE ARE GONNA
LEARN HER NAME, UM,
READ ALL ABOUT HER BACKGROUND
AND HER PERSEVERANCE
AND HER STRENGTH,
AND I THINK THAT IS JUST
IN ITSELF REALLY INSPIRING.
AND LOOKING TO SEE HOW
MUCH SHE ACCOMPLISHED AND, UM--
REALLY INSPIRING FOR ME
>> THAT'S GREAT.
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME
WE HAVE FOR OUR SHOW TODAY.
ELISA, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR HAVING ME.
>> AND, JULIE, THANK YOU AS WELL
FOR JOINING US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU, IT WAS A PLEASURE.
>> WE'RE SO EXCITED FOR WHAT
THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL REVEAL ABOUT OUR UNIVERSE.
AND TO HONOR THE EXTRAORDINARY
AND PIONEERING WOMAN
THAT THIS TELESCOPE
IS NOW NAMED AFTER.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE,
YOU CAN VISIT
NASA.GOV/ROMAN.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.
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>> THE UNIVERSE.
FOR ALL WE HAVE
LEARNED ABOUT IT,
WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN
TO REVEAL ITS SECRETS.
WHAT ARE DARK MATTER
AND DARK ENERGY?
HOW COMMON ARE PLANETARY
ARRANGEMENTS LIKE OUR OWN?
AND HOW MANY PLANETS
IN OUR GALAXY HAVE
THE POTENTIAL TO HARBOR LIFE?
THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL HELP ANSWER
THESE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS.
FORMERLY KNOWN AS WFIRST,
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
IS SIMILAR TO HUBBLE,
BUT WITH THE BENEFIT OF 30 YEARS
OF TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT,
EACH IMAGE FROM ITS WIDE-FIELD
INSTRUMENT WILL HAVE
THE DEPTH AND CLARITY
OF HUBBLE'S BEST,
BUT CAPTURE A SKY AREA
100 TIMES LARGER.
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL TAKE THE LEAD IN EXPLORING
DARK ENERGY AND DARK MATTER.
WE ONLY KNOW THEY EXIST
BY THEIR EFFECTS
ON OBSERVABLE MATTER,
YET THESE TWO
MYSTERIOUS COMPONENTS
MAKE UP 95% OF THE UNIVERSE.
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE'S
POWERFUL 2.4-METER MIRROR
AND ENORMOUS FIELD OF VIEW
WILL ALSO HELP US
IN THE SEARCH FOR PLANETS
BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM,
OR EXOPLANETS.
IT WILL WATCH
FOR GRAVITATIONAL
MICROLENSING EVENTS
CAUSED WHEN A PLANET
AND ITS HOST STAR PASS
IN FRONT OF A BACKGROUND STAR.
SUCH EVENTS ARE RARE,
SO CATCHING THEM
REQUIRES WATCHING
LARGE SWATHS OF THE SKY.
TO DEEPEN ITS STUDY
OF EXOPLANETS,
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL HOUSE A BEYOND-
STATE-OF-THE-ART
CORONAGRAPH THAT WILL
DIRECTLY IMAGE AND ANALYZE
NEPTUNE-SIZED PLANETS
IN ORBITS SLIGHTLY LARGER
THAN EARTH'S,
A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT
OVER CURRENT CAPABILITIES.
THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL HELP US ANSWER MANY
OF THE BIGGEST COSMIC QUESTIONS.
ITS WIDE-FIELD VIEW
AND CORONAGRAPH
WILL COMPLEMENT MISSIONS
LIKE NASA'S JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE
AND TRANSITING EXOPLANET
SURVEY SATELLITE, TESS.
THE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
WILL BE AN INDISPENSABLE PART
OF SPACE SCIENCE DURING
THE NEXT DECADE AND BEYOND.
>> IT'S HARD TO DECIDE
HOW HISTORY WILL VIEW
MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
PEOPLE GENERALLY AREN'T
TERRIBLY INTERESTED IN
WHAT GETS THINGS STARTED.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MUCH
OF AN IDEA OF MY ROLE.
>> NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SERVED AS THE FIRST CHIEF
OF ASTRONOMY IN NASA'S
OFFICE OF SPACE SCIENCE,
THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD
AN EXECUTIVE POSITION
WITHIN THE AGENCY.
SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL
IN THE EARLY PLANNING
OF NASA'S FIRST
GREAT SPACE OBSERVATORY,
THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE,
EARNING HER THE NICKNAME,
"THE MOTHER OF HUBBLE."
TO HONOR HER,
NASA HAS GIVEN HER NAME TO ONE
OF ITS MOST POWERFUL UPCOMING
SPACE OBSERVATORIES.
WFIRST, THE WIDE-FIELD
INFRARED SURVEY TELESCOPE
IS NOW THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE.
NANCY GRACE WAS BORN IN 1925
AND DEVELOPED AN INTEREST
IN ASTRONOMY AT AN EARLY AGE.
>> I JUST WAS FASCINATED.
BETWEEN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE
I ORGANIZED MY FRIENDS
INTO AN ASTRONOMY CLUB
TO STUDY THE CONSTELLATIONS.
I CERTAINLY DID NOT RECEIVE
ANY ENCOURAGEMENT.
I WAS TOLD FROM THE BEGINNING
THAT WOMEN COULD NOT
BE SCIENTISTS.
>> NANCY GRACE PERSEVERED
AND GRADUATED FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
IN 1949 WITH A DOCTORATE
IN ASTRONOMY
DESPITE CONTINUING
TO ENCOUNTER DISCRIMINATION.
>> MY THESIS PROFESSOR--
THERE WAS A PERIOD
IN WHICH HE WENT FOR SIX MONTHS
WITHOUT SPEAKING TO ME
EVEN WHEN I SAID HELLO
TO HIM IN THE HALL.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME.
>> AFTER SEVERAL YEARS
OF RESEARCH, NASA CAME CALLING.
>> I STARTED IN NASA IN 1959.
IT WAS SIX MONTHS OLD.
BEING THE FIRST
EXECUTIVE WOMAN AT NASA
TURNED OUT NOT TO BE
TERRIBLY, UH, EVENTFUL.
UH, I WAS ACCEPTED VERY READILY
AS A SCIENTIST IN MY JOB.
>> DURING HER 21 YEARS AT NASA,
DR. ROMAN WAS INVOLVED
IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH
OF MANY SPACE-BASED
OBSERVATORIES WHICH STUDIED
THE SUN, DEEP SPACE,
AND THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.
HER MOST ENDURING
LEGACY AT NASA
WAS THE PLANNING OF HUBBLE
AND ITS SCIENCE PROGRAM.
SHE DID MUCH
OF THE EARLY ADVOCACY
AND ESTABLISHED
THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE
WHICH LAID THE FOUNDATION
FOR OTHER LARGE
NASA MISSIONS THAT FOLLOWED
AND HELPED CONVINCE
THE ASTRONOMICAL COMMUNITY
TO SUPPORT ASTRONOMY FROM SPACE.
AFTER RETIRING FROM NASA,
DR. ROMAN STAYED INVOLVED
IN THE SPACE COMMUNITY
AND RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS
FOR HER PIONEERING WORK.
OVER HER CAREER,
SHE INSPIRED GENERATIONS
OF YOUNG ASTRONOMERS.
NOW WITH THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN
SPACE TELESCOPE,
HER LEGACY CAN CONTINUE
TO INSPIRE GENERATIONS MORE.
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