# Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Began Life As A Spy Satellite

> A spy satellite built for military use became NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope after the NRO abandoned its program.
- Title: Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Began Life As A Spy…
- Summary: A spy satellite built for military use became NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope after the NRO abandoned its program. NASA repurposed a spy satellite…
- Keywords: nancy grace roman space telescope, national reconnaissance office, nro, hubble, spy satellite, mirror, space telescope, laboratory 2, lagrange point 2, cars, culture, Nancy
- Source: Jalopnik — https://jalopnik.com/2280101/grace-roman-space-telescope-spy-agency-gift-nasa-no-money
- Author: Nicholas Werner
- Published: 2026-10-11T03:25:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nancy grace roman space telescope, national reconnaissance office, nro, hubble, spy satellite, mirror, space telescope, laboratory 2, lagrange point 2, cars, culture
## Spy Satellite Program Abandoned
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope began life as a spy satellite for the NRO but never launched.
## NRO's Future Imagery Architecture Program
The NRO developed a spy satellite program in the 1990s to monitor Earth but faced cost overruns with Boeing.
## Two Satellites Stuck in Warehouse
Two spy satellites remained in Rochester, New York, after the NRO canceled the program due to Boeing's delays.
## NASA Sees Opportunity
NASA's acting deputy director Michael Moore discovered the spy satellites and requested possession in 2011.
## Mirror Repurposed for Science
NASA used a 7.9-foot mirror from the spy satellites to build a space telescope that surveys the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble.
## Mirror Modifications Required
NASA added a 400-nanometer silver coating to the mirror and redesigned the satellite for astronomy use.
## Telescope Ahead of Schedule
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched ahead of schedule and has 22 years of science ahead due to its extended fuel lifespan.
## Key takeaway

NASA repurposed a spy satellite mirror from a defunct NRO program to build the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will survey the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble.