CSST

UMBC researcher is helping unlock the mystery of dark energy with NASA’s Roman Telescope 

Sep 16, 2026 • By Sarah Hansen, M.S. '15

On August 30, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The telescope is expected to provide an unprecedented amount of observational data that will help unravel lingering mysteries, such as the role dark energy plays in the universe’s accelerating expansion. UMBC’s Rebekah Hounsell, an associate research scientist with the Center for Space Sciences and Technology, has been working on the mission since 2015. In this Q&A, she shares more about her work and why it excites her.