NASA opened media accreditation for two major missions launching in the coming months: the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and SpaceX Crew-13.
The Roman Space Telescope will launch no earlier than 7:20 a.m. EDT on Sunday, August 30, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A. This observatory represents a major advance in infrared astronomy, designed to study dark energy, exoplanets, and stellar evolution across billions of light-years.
Named after pioneering astrophysicist Nancy Grace Roman, the telescope carries a 2.4-meter primary mirror and advanced infrared instruments that will investigate fundamental questions about the universe's expansion and composition. Its wide field of view, roughly 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's, enables rapid surveys of vast cosmic volumes. Roman will operate at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, approximately one million miles from Earth, where it can maintain stable observations while maintaining orbital alignment with both bodies.
Crew-13, NASA's thirteenth crew rotation mission to the International Space Station, will carry astronauts to continue critical research aboard the orbital laboratory. SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft provides regular transportation to the station following the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011.
Media accreditation for both launches allows journalists to witness these events from Kennedy Space Center's press site and access NASA facilities. The accreditation process typically opens several months before launch, giving news organizations time to request credentials and arrange coverage.
The Roman Space Telescope's launch marks a watershed moment for space-based infrared astronomy. Its capabilities will complement ground-based observatories and data from the James Webb Space Telescope, advancing humanity's census of exoplanets and understanding of cosmic structure. NASA plans extensive public engagement around both launches, recognizing their