Mission to Universe
Space Very Long Baseline Interferometry
Considered a cousin of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope is designed to study the early universe in infrared light. The first telescope to see light from a planet outside our solar system, Spitzer has also made important discoveries about comets, stars, exoplanets and distant galaxies.
In 2009, Spitzer ran out of liquid coolant and began its "warm mission," refocusing its studies on determining how quickly our universe is stretching apart, and characterizing asteroids and the atmospheres of gas-giant planets.
Scientific Instrument(s)
- Infrared Array Camera (IRAC)
- Infrared Spectrograph (IRS)
- Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS)
Mission Badge
Type: Orbiter
Status: Current
Launch Date: August 25, 2003
1:35 a.m. EDT (5:35 UTC)
Launch Location: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Target: Universe
› High resolution image
› Mission Website
› Spitzer Information on National Space Science Data Center
› Spitzer on Facebook
› Spitzer on Twitter
The live-streamed show, featuring mission members and NASA leadership, will air on Jan. 22, at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST). Members of the public can ask questions.
NASA Says Goodbye to One of Agency's Great Observatories
New SOFIA image reveals never-before-seen details of the Swan Nebula, including features that previous observations with space telescopes could not see.
SOFIA Reveals How the Swan Nebula Hatched
The planet, TOI 700d, is the first Earth-size habitable-zone planet discovered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. It was confirmed by the Spitzer Space Telescope.