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NASA to Unveil Complete Roman Telescope, Host Media Briefing

Media are invited Tuesday, April 21, to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for a look at the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which recently completed construction and is wrapping up prelaunch testing. This will be one of the last opportunities to view the fully integrated flagship telescope before it ships to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of a launch planned as early as this fall.

With NASA Goddard’s largest clean room as a backdrop, the event will include a news conference at 4 p.m. EDT, which will stream on NASA’s YouTube channel. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of online platforms, including social media.

NASA participants in the briefing include:

• NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
• Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington
• Jamie Dunn, Roman telescope project manager, NASA Goddard
• Julie McEnery, Roman telescope senior project scientist, NASA Goddard

Media interested in participating by phone must RSVP no later than two hours prior to the start of the briefing to Alise Fisher, alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov. A copy of NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.

Credentialed media in attendance also will have the opportunity to visit other center facilities and conduct interviews with subject matter experts on topics such as NASA’s Lunar Environment Monitoring Station candidate payload for the Artemis program, the DAVINCI mission to Venus, the Habitable Worlds Observatory mission concept, and the Dragonfly mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

To be considered for on-site credentials, foreign national media must register by Wednesday, April 1; U.S. media must register by Friday, April 10. Any media RSVPs must be sent to Rob Garner, rob.garner@nasa.gov.

Named after NASA’s first chief astronomer, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will have a deep, panoramic view of the cosmos, generating never-before-seen pictures that will revolutionize our understanding of the universe. The observatory will usher in a new era of cosmic surveys, unveiling troves of celestial objects and shedding light on some of the universe’s most profound mysteries, including phenomena we can’t see. Roman will also showcase cutting-edge technology, including a test of the most advanced technology ever flown in space to directly image planets around nearby stars, a key step in NASA’s search for life on other worlds.

The Roman telescope is managed at NASA Goddard with participation by the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California. Contributions to Roman also are made by ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales), and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany.

For more information about NASA’s Roman telescope, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/roman

-end-

Bethany Stevens / Alise Fisher
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov / alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov

Claire Andreoli / Rob Garner
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
301-286-1940 / 301-286-5687
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov / rob.garner@nasa.gov

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Elizabeth Shaw

NASA Releases Artemis II Moon Mission Launch Countdown

Before NASA sends its astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen on their Artemis II mission around the Moon, the launch team at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and teams across the country will begin counting down about two days before liftoff. 

A launch countdown contains “L Minus” and “T Minus” times. The “L minus” indicates how far away liftoff is in hours and minutes. The “T minus” time is a sequence of events built into the launch countdown. Pauses in the countdown, or “holds,” are built in to allow the launch team to target a precise launch window, and to provide a cushion of time for certain tasks and procedures without impacting the overall schedule. During planned holds in the countdown process, the countdown clock is intentionally stopped and the T- time also stops. The L- time, however, continues to advance.  

Below are some of the key events that take place at each milestone after the countdown begins.

All times are approximate for when these milestones occur. 

L-49 hours 50 minutes and counting  

• L-49H50M – Launch team arrives to stations
• L-49H40M – Countdown clock begins
• L-49H40M – L-42H30M: Liquid oxygen (LOX)/Liquid hydrogen (LH2) system
  preparations for vehicle loading
• L-45H30M – L-44H: Orion spacecraft powered up
• L-42H20M – L-41H: Core stage powered up
• L-42H10M – L-40H30M: Interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS) powered up
• L-39H45M – L-35H30M: Final preparations of the four RS-25 engines

L-35 hours and counting

• L-34H45M – L-34H10M: ICPS is powered down
• L-33H30M – L-29H30M: Charge Orion flight batteries to 100%
• L-31H30M – L-24H30M: Charge core stage flight batteries
• L-20H15M – L-18H45M: ICPS is powered up for launch

L-16 hours and counting

• L-15H30M – L-14H: All non-essential personnel leave Launch Complex 39B
• L-14H15M – L-12H05M: Air-to-gaseous nitrogen (GN2) changeover and rocket
  cavity inerting
• L-13H15M – L-11H45M: Ground launch sequencer (GLS) activation

L-13 hours and counting

• L-12H35M – L-9H50M: 2-hour 45-minute built in countdown hold begins
• L-10H50M – Launch team decides “go” or “no-go” to begin tanking
• L-10H50M – L-9H35M: Orion cold soak
• L-10H40M – L-10H35M: Core stage LOX transfer line chilldown
• L-10H40M – L-9H55M: Core stage LH2 chilldown
• L-10H25M – L-9H40M: Core stage LOX main propulsion system chilldown

L-10 hours and counting

• L-9H55M – L-9H25M: Core stage LH2 slow fill start
• L-9H50M – Resume T-Clock from T-8H10M
• L-9H40M – L-9H30M: Core stage LOX slow fill
• L-9H30M – L-6H40M: Core stage LOX fast fill
• L-9H25M – L-8H: Core stage LH2 fast fill
• L-9H05M – L-8H30M: ICPS LH2 chilldown
• L-8H30M – L-7H45M: ICPS LH2 fast fill start
• L-8H – L-7H55M: Core stage LH2 topping
• L-7H55M – terminal count: Core stage LH2 replenish
• L-7H45M – L-7H20M: ICPS LH2 vent and relief test
• L-7H20M – L-7H10M: ICPS LH2 tank topping start
• L-7H05M – terminal count: ICPS LH2 replenish
• L-6H40M – L-6H10M: Orion communications system activated (radio frequency to mission control)
• L-6H40M – L-6H05M: Core stage LOX topping
• L-6H40M – L-6H30M: ICPS LOX main propulsion system chilldown
• L-6H30M – L-5H45M: ICPS LOX fast fill
• L-6H10M – Stage pad rescue
• L-6H10M: – Closeout crew assemble
• L-6H05M – terminal count: Core stage LOX replenish

L-6 hours and counting

• L-6H – Flight crew weather brief
• L-5H45M – L-5H30M: ICPS LOX vent and relief test
• L-5H30M – L-5H10M: ICPS LOX topping
• L-5H10M – terminal count: ICPS LOX replenish
• L-5H10M – All stages replenish
• L-5H10M – Start 1-hour 10-minute built in hold
• L-5H10M – L-4H55M: Closeout crew to white room
• L-4H40M – L-4H10M: Flight crew deployment to pad
• L-4H: Flight crew board Orion
• L-3H40M – L-3H10M: Crew module hatch preps and closure
• L-3H10M – L-2H45M: Counterbalance mechanism hatch sealpress decay
  checks
• L-2H20M – L-1H40M: Crew module hatch service panel install/closeouts
• L-1H40M – L1H30M: Launch abort system (LAS) hatch closure for flight
• L-1H10M – Launch director brief – rocket & thermal protection system scan results with the imagery console
• L-50M – L-40M: Closeout crew departs Launch Complex 39B
• L-50M – Final NASA test director briefing is held 

L-40 minutes and holding  

• L-40M – Built in 30-minute countdown hold begins 

L-25 minutes and holding   

• L-25M – Transition team to Orion to Earth communication loop following final NTD briefing
• L-17M – Launch director polls team to ensure they are “go” for launch
• L-15M – Flight crew visors down
• L-14M – Flight crew short purge verification 

T-10 minutes and counting  

• T-10M – GLS initiates terminal count
• T-8M – Crew Access Arm retract
• T-6M – GLS go for core stage tank pressurization  
• T-6M – Orion ascent pyros are armed
• T-6M – Orion set to internal power
• T-5M57S – Core stage LH2 terminate replenish
• T-5M20S – LAS capability is available
• T-5M20S – NTD lets commander knows LAS capability is available
• T-4M40S – GLS go for LH2 high flow bleed check
• T-4M30S – Flight termination system armed
• T-4M – GLS is go for core stage auxiliary power unit (APU) start
• T-4M – Core Stage APU starts
• T-4M – Core stage LOX terminate replenish
• T-3M30S – ICPS LOX terminate replenish  
• T-3M10S – GLS go for purge sequence 4 
• T-2M02S – ICPS switches to internal battery power
• T-2M – Booster switches to internal batter power
• T-1M30S – Core stage switches to internal power  
• T-1M20S – ICPS enters terminal countdown mode  
• T-50S – ICPS LH2 terminate replenish
• T-33S – GLS sends “go for automated launch sequencer” command
• T-30S – Core stage flight computer to automated launching sequencer  
• T-12S – Hydrogen burn off igniters initiated  
• T-10S – GLS sends the command for core stage engine start 
• T-6.36S– RS-25 engines startup  

 T-0  

• Booster ignition, umbilical separation, and liftoff 

Inside the terminal countdown, teams have a few options to hold the count if needed.

• The launch team can hold at 6 minutes for the duration of the launch window, less the 6 minutes needed to launch, without having to recycle back to 10 minutes.
• If teams need to stop the clock between T-6 minutes and T-1 minute, 30 seconds, they can hold for up to 3 minutes and resume the clock to launch. If they require more than 3 minutes of hold time, the countdown would recycle back to T-10.
• If the clock stops after T-1 minute and 30 seconds, but before the automated launch sequencer takes over, then teams can recycle back to T-10 to try again, provided there is adequate launch window remaining.
• After handover to the automated launch sequencer, any issue that would stop the countdown would lead to concluding the launch attempt for that day.

Launching the Artemis II Moon rocket will lift off the agency’s first crewed mission under the Artemis program, testing the systems that will return astronauts to the Moon for an enduring presence, and paving the way to human exploration of Mars.

To learn more about the Artemis program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

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Lauren E. Low

Station Nation: Aaron Rose, Cold Stowage Mission Manager  

As a member of the Crew and Thermal Systems Division, Aaron Rose supports critical cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station. In this role, he works with payload developers to safely transport temperature-controlled science experiments to and from station with portable coolers, freezers, and refrigerators. 

For the full flight cycle, Rose and his team members ensure all cold stowage hardware, operations, and personnel are coordinated to ensure science experiments are handled safely and securely – all the way from launch to landing. These experiments are vital to unlocking discoveries that are not possible on Earth, improving life on our home planet and helping pave the way for the return to the Moon and future journeys to Mars.  

Read on to learn about Rose’s career with NASA and more! 

Where are you from? 

I’m from Canton, Ohio (Home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame) 

How long have you been working for NASA? 

I have been working at Johnson Space Center for 18 years. 

What was your path to NASA? 

I started as a co-op with Jacobs Engineering in 2008 while attending The Ohio State University. In 2007, retired NASA astronaut Nancy Currie gave a talk at my school and she shared that there were opportunities for students to work at Johnson as a co-op or intern. Upon hearing this, I reached out to her, and she helped me apply to a co-op program. I was accepted and went on to complete several co-op semesters. After graduating with an undergraduate degree in industrial and systems engineering, I joined Jacobs Engineering as a full-time team member and moved to Houston to be a test engineer on a new docking system. 

How would you describe your job to family or friends that may not be familiar with NASA? 

I work on a team that specializes in temperature-controlled transportation. We receive domestic and international science experiments and pack them into coolers, freezers, or refrigerators. We also make sure those items are correctly installed into the spacecraft and work as expected. After splashdown, we receive the science samples and return them to the researchers as soon as possible. I also have some sway in what ice cream we launch and provide for the crew!  

What advice would you give to young individuals aspiring to work in the space industry or at NASA? 

Don’t be afraid to expand your network. It always helps to meet new people and make connections.

Aaron rose

Cold Stowage Mission Manager  

You never know who you might meet that could recommend you for an open position. It definitely worked for me! 

Also, don’t give up on engineering if you struggle with higher level mathematics. There are a lot of engineering positions that don’t require frequent use of differential equations, linear algebra, etc. You can still work at NASA with other strengths. 

Is there a space figure you’ve looked up to or someone that inspires you?  

Retired NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson inspired me to follow my dreams and encouraged me to work at Johnson full time after I graduated from college. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Stephen, where he shared his journey to becoming an astronaut and it resonated with me. After talking to him, I was even more motivated to finish my degree and get back to Houston. There were so many fun and interesting experiences waiting for me that I couldn’t miss! 

What is your favorite NASA memory or the most meaningful project you’ve worked on during your time with NASA? 

It is a pleasure knowing that my job is directly playing a role in the purpose of the International Space Station.

Aaron rose

Cold Stowage Mission Manager  

The first SpaceX mission I supported was NASA’s SpaceX CRS-3 return. I had recently joined the Cold Stowage Team and was still learning the ropes when I was selected to travel to Long Beach, California, and help the team. It was such a thrill to work out of a cargo airplane while handling science experiments that had just returned from space. 

Another favorite memory is watching the movie “Apollo 13” in the historic Mission Control Center. It was so surreal to sit at a workstation where the actual events of Apollo 13 occurred while watching the movie. It felt like I was transported back to April 1970, and I was in the movie. The space nerd in me was ecstatic!  

What do you love sharing about station? 

I like to talk about cargo resupply missions. People genuinely want to know what work is being done on the space station and how we utilize microgravity to develop new technology and fight diseases. I usually share about the different science experiments we fly and explain the steps it takes to safely transport delicate equipment and samples to and from station. 

November 2, 2025, marked 25 years of continuous human presence. What does this milestone mean to you? 

It stands as a testament to what we can achieve when working together. Building and maintaining the space station takes thousands of people working together to unlock the mysteries of the universe.

Aaron rose

Cold Stowage Mission Manager  

I’m excited for the future of our industry and can’t wait to see how we continue to raise the bar to achieve NASA’s ambitious goals for deep space exploration. Ad astra! 

If you could have dinner with any astronaut, past or present, who would it be? 

I would have dinner with former NASA astronaut and fellow Ohioan Neil Armstrong. I met him once and I’d love to ask him some more questions. 

Do you have a favorite space-related memory or moment that stands out to you? 

Either watching the movie “IMAX: Hubble 3D” with a big group of fellow co-ops at the Houston Museum of Natural Science or seeing my first up-close space shuttle launch.  

One summer as a co-op, I tested and certified the IMAX camera equipment that was used by the crew of STS-125 to film part of this movie. It was wonderful to see the final product of my efforts on the big screen. 

In 2010, my friend and I drove through the night from Ohio to Florida to see the launch of STS-130 and it was well worth it. This was an especially meaningful launch because it was one of the final shuttle missions, the amazing cupola was on board, and I knew retired astronaut Stephen Robinson, who was a mission specialist for STS-130.   

What are some of the key projects you have worked on during your time at NASA? What have been your favorite? 

I’ve had the privilege of working on several key projects at NASA, including:  

– “IMAX: Hubble 3D”  

– The potable water dispenser 

– Cold stowage  

My favorite focus has been cold stowage. It has given me the chance to support multiple SpaceX, Axiom, and Northrup Grumman missions every year. Through my work in cold stowage, I’ve seen many rocket launches, frequently handled space-flown hardware, and directly contributed to the success of over 50 flights to station. I’ve also cultivated life-long friendships and developed a meaningful career supporting NASA’s core mission.  

What are your hobbies/things you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I enjoy weightlifting, playing video games, traveling around the world, engaging in car culture, attending comedy shows, and watching movies. 

Day launch or night launch? 

Night! 

Favorite space movie? 

“Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back”  

NASA Worm or Meatball logo? 

Worm! 

NASA and its partners have supported humans continuously living and working in space since November 2000. After 25 years of continuous human presence, the space station remains a training and proving ground for the future of commercial space stations, deep space missions, enabling NASA’s Artemis campaign, lunar exploration, and future Mars missions. 

Every day, we are conducting exciting research aboard our orbiting laboratory that will help us explore farther into space and bring benefits back to people on Earth. You can keep up with the latest news, videos, and pictures about space station science on the Station Research & Technology news page. It is a curated hub of space station research digital media from Johnson and other centers and space agencies.  

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter to get the updates delivered directly to you.  

Follow updates on social media at @Space_Station on X, and on the space station accounts on Facebook and Instagram.  

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Mary Pfister

Arctic Winter Sea Ice Ties Record Low, NASA, NSIDC Scientists Find

For the second consecutive year, winter sea ice in the Arctic reached a level that matches the lowest peak observed since satellite monitoring began in 1979. On March 15, Arctic sea ice extent reached 5.52 million square miles (14.29 million square kilometers), very close to the 2025 peak of 5.53 million square miles (14.31 million square kilometers). Scientists with NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, note that the two years are statistically tied.

Along with the overall extent, researchers are also observing changes in ice thickness. “Based on what we’re seeing with NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite, much of the ice in the Arctic is thinner this year, especially in the Barents Sea northeast of Greenland.,” said Nathan Kurtz, chief of the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “The Sea of Okhotsk that borders northern Japan and Russia also had relatively low ice this year — a region that naturally experiences significant year-to-year variability.”

Scientists with NASA and NSIDC found that this winter’s peak Arctic ice coverage continues the long-term trend observed over the past several decades. This year, peak ice cover was below the average levels between 1981 and 2010 by roughly half a million square miles (about 1.3 million square kilometers). 

Sea ice extent is defined as the total area of the ocean with at least 15% ice concentration. The area of the Arctic Ocean covered in ice expands in the cold of winter. Although much of the sea ice melts in warmer months, some ice remains throughout the year. Recently, less new ice has been forming. As a result, less multi-year ice has accumulated.

“A low year or two don’t necessarily mean much by themselves,” said NSIDC ice scientist Walt Meier. But viewed within the long‑term downward trend since 1979, Meier added, they add to the overall picture of change in Arctic sea ice throughout the seasons.

In the Antarctic, summer sea ice reached an annual low of 996,000 square miles (2.58 million square kilometers) on Feb. 26. This year’s coverage represents an increase compared to the unusually low levels of the past four years. Although 100,000 square miles (260,000 square kilometers) lower than the 1981–2010 average, the Antarctic sea ice minimum was well above the record low set on Feb. 21, 2023, of 691,000 square miles (1.79 million square kilometers). 

Scientists at NSIDC previously tracked sea ice extent primarily using satellites in the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. In recent years, the NSIDC has relied on JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 for real-time sea ice data. Researchers also compare ice coverage to historical sources, such as the data collected between 1978 and 1985 with the Nimbus-7 satellite that was jointly operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

By James Riordon
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Media contact: Elizabeth Vlock
NASA Headquarters, Washington

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NASA’s IXPE Gets Fresh Look at Supernova

NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission has taken a new observation of a supernova, RCW 86, seen here in an image released on March 24, 2026. This observation helps fill in a fuller picture of what other telescopes have seen.

The full image combines IXPE’s data with legacy observations from two other X-ray telescopes: NASA’s Chandra and the ESA (European Space Agency) XMM-Newton telescope. The yellow represents low-energy X-rays, while blue shows high-energy X-rays detected by Chandra and XMM-Newton. The starfield in the image comes from the National Science Foundation’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab).

Learn more about this image.

Image credit: X-ray: Chandra: NASA/CXC/SAO, XMM: ESA/XMM-NEWTON, IXPE:NASA/MSFC; Optical: NSF/NOIRLab; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt

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Monika Luabeya