NASA’s Roman Telescope Beats Its Optical Target. What 63 Nanometers Means.
Tech & Science · Space instruments · October 21, 2026 Roman’s sharper eye. What 63 nanometers means. Roman’s optics reached 63 nanometers RMS error. Here is what the result means for calibration, wide-field surveys, and coronagraph tests. 63 nm RMS optical error after corrections 18 detectors in the wide-field camera 2 instruments with different jobs Roman’s primary mirror and deployed visor during ground inspection in May 2026. NASA/Sydney Rohde . By NEWJIN MEDIA · Analysis of NASA mission reports and instrument documentation · October 21, 2026 01 / The measurement The important number is 63 nanometers Roman’s optics reached 63 nanometers RMS error. Here is what the result means for calibration, wide-field surveys, and coronagraph tests. In an October 14 commissioning update, NASA reported that Roman’s Wide Field Instrument had reached an optical error of 63 nanometers RMS after alignment corrections, against an image-quality requirement of about 90 nanometers RMS. NASA described...