Spitzer Space Telescope
NASA's fourth Great Observatory studied the universe in infrared from an Earth-trailing solar orbit. Originally launched as SIRTF, it was renamed Spitzer and continued as the Warm Mission after cryogen depletion until retirement in 2020.
Identity
- Aliases
- SpitzerSpace Infrared Telescope FacilitySIRTFSpitzer Warm MissionSpitzer Beyond
- Name
- Spitzer Space Telescope
- Slug
- spitzer-space-telescope
- Status
- completed
Details
- Description
- NASA's fourth Great Observatory studied the universe in infrared from an Earth-trailing solar orbit. Originally launched as SIRTF, it was renamed Spitzer and continued as the Warm Mission after cryogen depletion until retirement in 2020.
- End Date
- 2020-01-30
- Launch Site Id
- qh7422164wy3ft5y6fa3dk60ah8afkef
- Outcome
- Success. Spitzer operated for more than 16 years instead of its planned two-and-a-half-year mission, achieved all prime objectives, captured direct light from exoplanets, identified Saturn's Phoebe ring, and helped characterize the seven Earth-size planets of TRAPPIST-1. Its public archive continues to support discoveries.
- Program
- NASA Great Observatories
- Start Date
- 2003-08-25
- Vehicle Family Ids
- nd7gnf50cg7ygbr29csgwgw32d8amjt0nd7ynsza8qbvrkwxq3gm72mgch8aqkk0
- Vehicle Id
- nh7srbmqr624nn5ffm842asr1s8aqa5f
Links
- Official Url
- https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spitzer/
Assets & Meta
- Creation Time
- 7/17/2026, 12:53:39 AM
- Updated Time
- 7/17/2026, 12:53:39 AM
Other
- Affiliations
- Organization Id
- vh76vnx3yy1vy23j7zc3wk80wx7nhx5f
- Role
- Lead agency and Great Observatories program sponsor
- Organization Id
- vn72dqhfabtqra13r4mw1f0jzx8anqak
- Role
- Project management, systems engineering, flight-operations system, and mission operations
- Organization Id
- jd76x7jyyp2cr5trms0r6cqt2d7kpcha
- Role
- Spacecraft design and development, observatory systems engineering, integration, testing, and spacecraft operations
- Organization Id
- jd719gpm400m50p0prn6hyxpp58aqnbk
- Role
- Cryogenic telescope assembly, optics, cryogenics, thermal systems, and IRS/MIPS instrument support
- Organization Id
- vn77gbp5cq53f746gv888drnjn8aqn6x
- Role
- Spitzer Science Center operations, science-data processing, archiving, and distribution
- Organization Id
- vn71m3a9t7bhfbpr44wmc59zwh8aqcy2
- Role
- Infrared Array Camera hardware design, fabrication, and testing
- Organization Id
- vn7d1tarzcznj89nd3qq8n9wrs8apgmk
- Role
- Infrared Array Camera science leadership and instrument requirements
- Organization Id
- vn72rpj2k1gdqdhptqm1pmqnv98aq9q6
- Role
- Infrared Spectrograph design, development, and science leadership
- Organization Id
- vn794mp8pzdpxakv061fp87kk58am86f
- Role
- Multiband Imaging Photometer design, fabrication, and science leadership
- Organization Id
- jd7atcy8qz2mwf1b5bcd0ckw8s7kp4gj
- Role
- Delta II launch vehicle provider