Nancy Grace Roman was NASA's first chief of astronomy and its first female executive. In setting up the agency's space science program, Roman advocated for and secured congressional funding for the Hubble Space Telescope and convened astronomers and engineers to align scientific needs with its design. For her work, she was nicknamed the "mother of Hubble."
> Watch Roman discuss her life and how her mother inspired her interest in astronomy.
> Roman secured the use of image sensors on Hubble that would later become the standard in digital cameras.
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Roman earned a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Chicago in 1949, where she would become the first woman on its astronomy faculty. By identifying patterns in the properties of stars across the Milky Way, Roman developed a method to more quickly find metal-rich stars and contributed to future models of the galaxy's formation.
> Roman became well-known in the astronomical community after observing a rare and unusual cosmic event.
> The Astrophysical Journal's list of the 100 most important papers in its first century of publication included research from Roman.
In 1959, just months after the agency began operations, Roman joined NASA from the radio astronomy program at the US Naval Research Laboratory. She founded NASA's scientific ballooning program, led the orbiting astronomical and solar observatory programs, and established policies for future space science missions.
> NASA's scientific balloons use helium to carry thousands of pounds of observational equipment for weeks.
> Stargazer, the first successful space telescope, was launched as part of the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory program.
> For her civil service, Nancy Roman received the Federal Woman's Award from President John F. Kennedy.
Seventeen months after Roman's death, NASA renamed the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope as the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Launching in 2026, the telescope will investigate dark energy and dark matter, search for exoplanets, and explore additional astrophysical phenomena.
> The Nancy Roman Space Telescope will survey 12% of the sky in 17 months—something that would take the Hubble Space Telescope over a thousand years.
> View a simulated demonstration of how the Roman Space Telescope works.
Discover more:
> After retiring, Nancy Roman taught in middle schools and recorded audio textbooks for students with disabilities.
> Lego's Women of NASA set honors four NASA pioneers, including Nancy Roman.
> With no living descendants, Nancy Roman donated over $8M to support women in STEM upon her death.
Keep learning by exploring all our findings on Nancy Roman here.
