Roman Space Telescope Gets Fuel for 22 Years Instead of 10

NASA says the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launched August 30 on a Falcon Heavy, now has enough fuel for at least 22 years of science operations, more than double its original 10-year budget. Three factors drove the gain: the observatory came in 18% under its mass ceiling at 8,056 kg, the first course correction used just 18 kg of propellant instead of the budgeted 200 kg, and the second correction and L2 orbit insertion are expected to come in under budget.

• Roman weighs 8,056 kg, 18% below the 9,800 kg budget
• First course correction used 18 kg of fuel instead of 200 kg
• Fuel budget grew from 10 to at least 22 years of operations
• Station-keeping burns around L2 are needed about every 28 days