President Donald Trump (R-FL) phoned into a NASA press conference to congratulate the team on the successful launch of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
The event highlights a shift in the administration's stance toward the mission, which it had previously attempted to cancel despite its high cost.
The launch took place on Sept. 19, 2023 [2], with the telescope being deployed via a SpaceX rocket from Cape Canaveral. During the post-launch briefing in Washington, D.C., Trump interrupted the proceedings to offer his praise for the mission's success.
"It looks beautiful," Trump said [1].
The telescope carries a price tag of $4.3 billion [1]. While the project faced early opposition from the administration, Trump used the phone call to align himself with the achievement and the scientists involved.
"We’re proud of the team that got this beautiful telescope into space," Trump said [2].
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was present during the briefing as the agency detailed the telescope's objectives. The mission is designed to explore the universe's dark energy and exoplanets, a goal that requires the precise deployment achieved during the SpaceX launch.
The interaction occurred as NASA officials were updating the public on the telescope's status. Trump's decision to call in allowed him to publicly endorse a project that had previously been a point of budgetary contention within his own government.
“"It looks beautiful."”
This interaction underscores the tension between federal budgetary goals and the long-term nature of scientific research. By praising a mission he previously tried to cancel, the president demonstrates a pattern of claiming success for high-profile government achievements regardless of earlier policy opposition.
