NASA's Roman Space Telescope may run 22 years instead of 10

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope could operate for at least 22 years instead of the planned 10. Its first course correction was over 99% accurate and used 18 kg of propellant instead of the allotted 200 kg, adding roughly four years of potential science.

• First course correction burned 18 kg of fuel instead of the allotted 200 kg
• Spacecraft weighed 8,056 kg against a 9,800 kg budget, so tanks were filled fully
• Savings on the second burn and L2 insertion could add about four more years
• In its L2 orbit it needs only small station-keeping burns every 28 days