NASA’s next-generation Nancy Roman Space Telescope aces crucial ‘spin test’
NASA Space Technology This structure, called the Outer Barrel Assembly, will surround and protect NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from stray light that could interfere with its observations. In this photo, engineers prepare the assembly for testing.(Image credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)NASA recently put a crucial part of the Roman Space Telescope — the Outer Barrel Assembly — through a rigorous "spin test" designed to evaluate its resilience against the intense gravitational forces it will encounter during launch. This test, a standard procedure in aerospace engineering, typically takes place inside a massive centrifuge that mimics the elevated gravity conditions of a space mission.There is much anticipation around this next-generation telescope, which was named after Nancy Grace Roman, NASA's first chief astronomer and "mother of the Hubble Space Telescope." It will have a field of view 100...
