We will see history, now in just about a month’s time (right before we go off-grid for a month in France and Italy): the first space telescope named for a NASA (paler) “hidden figures” pioneer will liftoff, on a five to ten year mission — at our second Lagrange point.

Here is a bit of the team’s latest blog update — from the Kennedy Space Center complex:

…Technicians completed fueling NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, bringing it an important step closer to launch. On July 25, the team completed operations that carefully loaded 290 gallons of hydrazine fuel into the observatory at the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

After launch and separation from the rocket, Roman will use this onboard propellant to perform maneuvers as it travels to Sun-Earth Lagrange point 2, or L2, located about one million miles from Earth. There, about four times the distance to the Moon, it will have an ideal home for astronomy.

Roman will use its propellant to power two types of thrusters that help it stay in its planned orbit around L2 and ensure the solar array panels face the Sun, which is the observatory’s main source of power throughout the mission.

Roman has a five-year primary mission, and potentially enough fuel to support an additional five years for an extended mission….

Yep, onward — with no major damage here — and lil’ ladies visit — before ice skating, tomorrow evening. Smile….

नमस्ते