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MISSION ENDED

Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA's infrared Great Observatory — from an Earth-trailing solar orbit it revealed the dusty, hidden universe for 16 years, including the seven-planet TRAPPIST-1 system. Decommissioned in January 2020; it continues to fall further behind Earth every year.

NASA·Earth-trailing orbit·Launched 25 August 2003·Mission ended
—days —h —m —s in space
Distance from Earth
298.77 M km
1.997132 AU
Distance from Sun
151.45 M km
1.012372 AU
Speed
106,662 km/h
29.628 km/s
Signal Delay
16.6 min
one way

The Infrared Universe

Spitzer was the last of NASA's four Great Observatories. Launched on 25 August 2003 into an Earth-trailing orbit around the Sun, it observed infrared light, revealing dusty star-forming clouds, the centre of the Milky Way and distant galaxies hidden from visible-light telescopes. Its liquid helium coolant ran out on 15 May 2009, but its infrared camera kept working at its two shortest wavelengths in a 'warm mission' for more than a decade.

Worlds Around Other Stars

In 2005 Spitzer became the first telescope to detect light directly from planets beyond the solar system, and in 2017 it showed that the star TRAPPIST-1 has seven Earth-sized planets. NASA ended the mission on 30 January 2020, after more than 16 years.

Mission Timeline

25 August 2003
Launch on a Delta II from Cape Canaveral
March 2005
First direct detection of light from planets around other stars
15 May 2009
Coolant runs out and the warm mission begins
22 February 2017
Reveals the seven Earth-sized planets of TRAPPIST-1
30 January 2020
Mission ends after more than 16 years

Key Data

MissionSpitzer Space Telescope
AgencyNASA
StatusMission ended
TargetEarth-trailing orbit
Launch date25 August 2003
Mission ended30 January 2020

Questions people ask

Spitzer trails Earth around the Sun in its own orbit, about 298.8 million km from us and falling further behind each year. It was switched off on 30 January 2020, so it no longer sends any signal.
It was the first telescope to detect light directly from planets around other stars, in 2005, and in 2017 it showed that the star TRAPPIST-1 has seven Earth-sized planets. It also mapped dust and star birth across the Milky Way and found some of the most distant galaxies then known.
As it drifted further behind Earth it had to tilt further to point its antenna home, which left less time for science and strained the spacecraft. NASA ended the mission on 30 January 2020, after more than 16 years.

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