In a scene that feels more like a midnight vigil than a routine inspection, NASA engineers and scientists gathered in near darkness inside a pristine cleanroom. Armed with flashlights and ultraviolet lamps, members of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team carefully examined the observatory's primary mirror, searching for even the smallest trace of contamination.
The eerie green glow illuminating the cleanroom wasn't festive lighting but the result of a long exposure combined with a small indicator lamp on the wall, an unassuming signal that the airflow in the room was just right.
