08/30/2026
On August 30th, 2026, a new NASA telescope will be launched into space.
✨While the telescope itself is expected to capture unprecedented images of stars and planets, its name is what actually caught our attention: indeed, it is named after Nancy Grace Roman, also known as "the mother of the Hubble telescope" and NASA's first woman to hold an executive role.
Nancy Grace Roman was born in 1925 in Nashville, Tennessee. Growing up, she was always interested in astronomy and space research, a passion which she pursued relentlessly throughout her studies and career. Despite the numerous barriers she faced as a woman in STEM and academia during those times, she earned her doctorate in astronomy in 1949 at the University of Chicago.
Dr. Roman then contributed immensely to her field as both a teacher and researcher of the night sky for the Yerkes Observatory... where she was paid less than 2/3 of her male counterparts' salary. As she noticed that her most skilled and experienced senior female colleagues were never offered prospects for career advancement or promotions, Dr. Roman quit the job she once loved.
Turns out, that was a great move. Her NASA biography recounts: "an employee at NASA once asked Roman if she knew someone who might be interested in creating a space-based astronomy program. She volunteered herself," and, in 1959, she became NASA's first Chief of Astronomy and Relativity and simultaneously the first woman to occupy an executive position at the agency. For two decades, she used her scientific expertise combined with her communication and leadership skills to ensure the funding, development and launch of the famous Hubble telescope, which granted her the alias of the "mother of Hubble". In addition to her contributions to science, Dr. Roman was actively involved in the American Association of University Women and advocated for equal visibility, opportunities and pay for women in STEM throughout her career.
Given the historical lack of recognition of women's achievements in STEM, the launch of Dr. Roman's namesake telescope offers a chance to learn about this astronomer and to reflect on the many innovative contributions of scientists who happened to be women.
Sources:
AAUW, "Nancy Grace Roman: The Life and Legacy of a NASA Star" Nancy Grace Roman: The Life and Legacy of a NASA Star – AAUW : Empowering Women Since 1881
NASA Science, "Dr. Nancy Grace Roman (1925–2018)" Dr. Nancy Grace Roman (1925-2018) - NASA Science
