For more than a decade, PI (Physik Instrumente) has supplied precision motion and piezoelectric technologies for the development, alignment, testing, and flight hardware of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
A PI H-811 precision hexapod mechanism used for the alignment and assembly of the prism and grism of the widefield instrument for the telescope. Image Credit: NASA
Roman launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on August 30, 2026, and is traveling toward the Sun-Earth L2 point, approximately one million miles from Earth. The observatory will study dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets, and the evolution of the universe.
PI’s involvement began during early development of the mission, formerly known as WFIRST. Cryogenic positioning stages were supplied for early testbeds. PI later provided six-axis hexapods for the Fifth Scale Testbed and precision gantry systems for the project.
Hexapods Support Wide Field Instrument Alignment
PI hexapods supported alignment of Roman’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI), its 300-megapixel infrared camera and primary science instrument.
During development, six-axis hexapods were used for precision alignment of the WFI’s grism and prism optics for slitless spectroscopy. The P1 prism, for example, was positioned on a hexapod for alignment and bonding into its flight cell.
The process is documented in the SPIE Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems article, “Compact Prism Assembly for Slit-less Spectroscopy Capability in Roman,” Vol. 11, Issue 2, Article 025001.
PI Piezo Actuators Fly on Roman’s Coronagraph
PI technology also supported development of Roman’s Coronagraph Instrument (CGI), which is designed to block intense starlight so much fainter orbiting planets and disks can be observed.
PI S-330 fast steering mirror technology was used during Coronagraph development and testing. PI PICMA® piezo actuators are also integrated into the flight fast steering mirror mechanism and are now aboard Roman.
The mechanism and its qualification are detailed in the SPIE JATIS paper “Flight Qualification of the Fast Steering Mirror for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Coronagraph Instrument,” Vol. 11, Issue 3, Article 031509.
From cryogenic testbeds and precision positioning to optical alignment and flight hardware, PI technology has supported Roman throughout its development, culminating with PI piezo actuators now flying aboard the observatory.