Nancy Grace Roman

Nancy Grace Roman is called the "mother of Hubble" because of her central role in advocating for, organizing, and securing funding for the Hubble Space Telescope during her tenure at NASA. As NASA's first Chief of Astronomy, she built the scientific and political consensus needed to launch the project in the 1960s and 1970s.

Yes, NASA's infrared space telescope formerly known as WFIRST was renamed the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in her honor. The Roman Space Telescope is currently in development and is expected to study dark energy and exoplanets after its planned launch in the mid-2020s.

Nancy Grace Roman served as NASA's first Chief of Astronomy from 1959 to 1979, making her one of the first women to hold an executive role at the agency. In that capacity she oversaw the development of numerous space astronomy programs beyond Hubble, including early orbiting observatories.

Nancy Grace Roman earned her PhD in astronomy from the University of Chicago, where she also worked at the Yerkes Observatory. Before joining NASA, she conducted research at the Yerkes Observatory and later at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.