NASA's Roman Space Telescope exceeds expectations by nearly 30%

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorNASA's Roman Space Telescope is performing nearly thirty percent better than expected, ScienceDaily reports, after engineers nudged one mirror by about one-sixteenth the width of a human hair.

2. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOne-sixteenth of a hair fixed the whole thing? That is a really small edit for a really big result.

3. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThe optical error on the Wide Field Instrument came in at sixty-three nanometers, when the requirement before launch was about ninety.

4. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThey beat the target, and nobody had to pretend the problem was a feature.

5. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorMy favorite part is that scaled up to the Empire State Building, that move is a little less than one penny on the tip.

6. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentA penny. Sorry, I'm fine. I just hope somebody told the penny it mattered.

7. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorNASA engineer Maxime Rizzo said calibrating an instrument is like tuning a piano or guitar before a concert.

8. 

   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, now I'm crying at a piano metaphor. Somebody get me a sticky note, which is also how big the detectors are.

9. 

   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThat's the lesson, Kenji: you don't need a big overhaul, just one tiny move in the right direction.

10. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFine. I'm moving my chair one-sixteenth of a hair.

11. 

    Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorThat is the most mature thing you have ever done.