Teledyne detector technologies aboard NASA’s flagship astrophysics mission will enable research into dark energy, exoplanets, and the Universe’s development
Teledyne Space Imaging, a premier provider of space-qualified imaging sensors, focal plane arrays, and integrated camera systems, a division of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY), marked a significant achievement after the successful launch of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 30, carried into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
With Roman now in orbit, the total number of Teledyne scientific imaging sensors operating in space exceeds 1,000, a count that includes those on the Hubble and James Webb missions. The detector technologies Teledyne furnished support both of Roman’s key scientific instruments, facilitating investigations into dark energy, exoplanets, and a wide variety of astrophysical phenomena. This recent accomplishment solidifies the company’s standing as a top supplier of cutting-edge detector technologies for scientific, commercial, and governmental space initiatives.
In 2018, NASA awarded Teledyne a $23 million (USD) contract to deliver 24 flight-quality sensor chip assemblies for the Roman mission, a number later increased to 28. Every detector supplied exceeded performance specifications for quantum efficiency, low noise, and image persistence, while also boosting the instrument’s spectral bandwidth by 20 percent.
For the mission’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI), Teledyne provided the H4RG-10 infrared detector arrays that make up Roman’s distinctive focal plane—the largest infrared focal plane ever deployed in space. Each detector boasts over 16 million pixels arranged in a 4096 × 4096 configuration. Together, 18 H4RG-10 detectors form a mosaic exceeding 300 million pixels, with a unique shape that inspired the iconic Roman mission logo selected by NASA.
Teledyne also delivered three CCD311-20 detectors for Roman’s Coronagraph Instrument, one of the most sophisticated high-contrast imaging systems ever launched into space. The Coronagraph Instrument integrates precision coronagraph masks, deformable mirrors, wavefront sensing and control systems, and electron-multiplying CCD technology to suppress starlight and directly observe much fainter planetary systems. This technology demonstration is anticipated to pave the way for future missions that can directly image Earth-like planets around nearby stars.
“Surpassing 1,000 scientific, space-qualified imaging sensors in orbit is a moment of pride for everyone at Teledyne,” said Megan Tremer, President of Teledyne Space Imaging. “It underscores our enduring commitment to pushing imaging technology forward and supporting the world’s most ambitious space missions. Roman represents another key chapter in that narrative, and we look forward to seeing how it expands our knowledge of the Universe.”
Roman serves as NASA’s newest flagship astrophysics observatory, built to survey billions of galaxies and monitor distant stellar explosions to help researchers explore dark energy—the mysterious force driving the Universe’s accelerating expansion. The mission will also detect thousands of exoplanets beyond our solar system, including planetary systems never before studied at such a scale. It offers a field of view roughly 200 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope’s infrared observations.
Beyond these primary goals, Roman will enable a wide array of astronomical research, from examining star formation in neighboring galaxies and supermassive black holes in the distant Universe to investigating the environments where stars and planetary systems emerge. The observatory will also enhance our understanding of objects within our own solar system.
Roman builds on more than four decades of Teledyne innovation in detector technology. Today, Teledyne’s imaging sensors support many of the world’s foremost scientific and Earth observation missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, Euclid Space Telescope, ESA’s Sentinel missions, and NOAA’s and NASA’s GOES program.
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About Teledyne Space Imaging
Teledyne Space Imaging of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY) boasts a distinguished heritage in creating space-qualified imaging sensors, focal plane arrays, and integrated camera systems for leading space agencies and observatories such as NASA, ESA, JAXA, and KASA. Its legacy spans over 250 space projects, in addition to a broad array of commercial space applications. Teledyne Space Imaging designs, tests, and manufactures a variety of CCD, CMOS, and IR detectors with optical filters and package options to satisfy every performance requirement.
About Teledyne
Teledyne is a premier supplier of sophisticated digital imaging products and software, instrumentation, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne’s operations are mainly situated in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Western and Northern Europe. For further information, visit Teledyne’s website at www.teledyne.com
Abigail Singleton
Singleton PR
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