Andy Rivkin

Roman Space Telescope Was Built to Hunt Dark Energy — It Could Also Catch City-Killer Asteroids

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, initially designed to study dark energy and dark matter, is being proposed as a tool for detecting city-killer asteroids. Its wide-field infrared camera can identify smaller asteroids, complementing instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope and the upcoming NEO Surveyor. While not its primary mission, Roman's capabilities could significantly enhance planetary defense efforts by identifying and tracking potentially hazardous near-Earth objects.