How much did Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope cost to build?
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA's infrared wide-field survey observatory with a 2.4 m mirror, formerly WFIRST, launched by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. ET on 30 August 2026 toward the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 2. Aerospace America reported on 22 April 2026 that the program's estimated cost had been raised from USD 3.9 billion to USD 4.3 billion and that NASA was on track to launch eight months ahead of its May 2027 readiness date and under budget.
Published project estimate
$4.3 billion
Cost basis: 2024
Cost record
How the cost changed
Budgets, contracts and final costs may cover different stages. Each figure keeps its own year and source.
Published project estimate
2024$4.3 billion
planetary.orgOriginal budget
$3.934 billion
U.S. Government Accountability OfficeProject record