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Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are shown assembling the electrical palette for the Coronagraph Instrument.
JPL scientist Vanessa Bailey stands behind the Nancy Grace Roman Coronagraph, which has been undergoing testing at JPL. The Coronagraph is designed to block starlight and allow scientists to see the faint light from planets outside our solar system.
This graphic shows a test of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument. At left, starlight leaks into the field of view when fixed components are used. The middle and right images show more starlight being removed as moveable components are engaged.
At JPL on May 17, 2024, members of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument team use a crane to lift the top portion of the shipping container that the instrument was stored in for its journey to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
The focal plane mask for the Roman Coronagraph Instrument, shown here, helps block starlight and reveal hidden planets. Each circular section contains carefully engineered, opaque obstructions designed to block starlight.
An engineer examines the fast steering mirror, part of the Coronagraph Instrument's optical bench. The mirror makes small movements that correct for slight wobbling of the Roman spacecraft.
Team members at JPL said farewell to the Roman Coronagraph Instrument on May 17, 2024, by signing their names to a flag on the outside of the shipping container that carried the instrument to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
The Roman Coronagraph Instrument consists of two key sections, including the optical bench. Light from the telescope is directed through series of components that suppress light from a star while allowing the light from orbiting planets to pass through.
The Roman Coronagraph was peppered with radio waves to test its response to stray electrical signals. The test was performed inside a chamber lined with foam padding that absorbs the radio waves to prevent them from bouncing off the walls.
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