Watch Live: Nancy Grace Telescope launches to unravel mysteries of universe

The countdown is nearing its end as NASA prepares to send its next major space observatory towards a distant vantage point to study and understand deeper how the universe functions.SpaceX's rocket loaded with the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is seen on the launchpad. (Photo: SpaceX)Nasa is getting ready to send one of its most ambitious space observatories into orbit, and you can watch the launch live from Earth.The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to lift off in some minutes, at 4:56 pm IST, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Nasa's live coverage is scheduled to begin at 3:50 pm IST, ahead of liftoff.WATCH THE NANCY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE LAUNCH LIVE HERE: WHERE IS NANCY GRACE ROMAN TELESCOPE GOING?Roman will begin its journey on one of the world's most powerful operational rockets. The Falcon Heavy will carry the telescope away from Earth before it heads towards its destination, the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2, roughly 15 lakh km from Earth.Unlike satellites that circle Earth, Roman will operate around this region of space, where the combined gravitational effects of the Sun and Earth allow spacecraft to maintain a stable position while using relatively little fuel. Nasa has already completed the major pre-launch preparations, with the telescope moving into the final stages ahead of its August 30 launch. The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is seen at the Nasa space facility. (Photo: Nasa) WHY IS NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE IMPORTANT?Roman is designed to give scientists a wide-angle view of the universe.Its primary mirror is about the same size as Hubble's, but its Wide Field Instrument can observe a much larger patch of sky in a single observation.Furthermore, Roman could survey vast stretches of the cosmos and study billions of galaxies during its mission. The Roman telescope is seen encapsulated in a pod prior to launch. (Photo: Nasa) The telescope will investigate some of astronomy's biggest mysteries, including dark matter, dark energy and the evolution of galaxies. It will also search for planets beyond our solar system.While the James Webb Space Telescope is built to study individual cosmic objects in extraordinary detail, Roman is designed to survey the universe on a much larger scale.I’ll take ‘Launching Soon’ for 1000, Ken.Want to be ready for an entire Jeopardy category on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Telescope? Here's everything you need to know about our latest deep space telescope in just 7 minutes. pic.twitter.com/SFqamPTsJd— Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (@NASARoman) August 26, 2026Together, the two observatories could give scientists both a closer look and a wider view of the cosmos.So, as the countdown reaches its final hours, Roman's launch marks more than the departure of another telescope.Nasa's latest space telescope is the beginning of an era that could change how scientists understand the surrounding universe.- EndsPublished On: Aug 30, 2026 16:00 IST