Space Infrared Telescope Facility was the pre-launch designation for the fourth and final observatory in NASA's Great Observatories program. It was designed to detect thermal radiation from deep space objects hidden by dust clouds, using liquid helium to cool its instruments to near absolute zero.
Heard on the job
The SIRTF project team had to redesign the cryogenic cooling system to fit within the mass limits of the launch vehicle.
Related terms
Hubble
A Hubble is a large space telescope or reconnaissance satellite utilizing a massive primary mirror.
JWST
The James Webb Space Telescope is a large infrared observatory positioned at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point.
GALEX
The Galaxy Evolution Explorer is a space-based observatory built to map the universe in ultraviolet light.