Space Telescopes
Orbiting observatories that study the universe from above the atmosphere.
- Space telescope
Ariel (exoplanet mission)
The European Space Agency's Ariel is the first mission dedicated to surveying the atmospheres of a large, diverse sample of known exoplanets — around a thousand — chiefly by transmission and emission spectroscopy at infrared wavelengths. Selected as ESA's fourth medium-class mission and planned for launch in 2029, it aims to link atmospheric composition to how and where planets form.
- Space telescope
Chandra X-ray Observatory
The Chandra X-ray Observatory is a NASA space telescope launched in 1999 that observes the universe in X-ray wavelengths.
- Space telescope
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (1991–2000) was one of NASA's Great Observatories, mapping the gamma-ray sky and studying gamma-ray bursts.
- Space telescope
Euclid
Euclid is ESA's mission to map the geometry of the dark universe, surveying billions of galaxies to study dark matter and dark energy.
- Space telescope
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope surveys the entire gamma-ray sky every few hours, studying pulsars, blazars, and gamma-ray bursts.
- Space telescope
Gaia
An ESA space observatory charting the positions, distances, and motions of nearly two billion stars in the Milky Way.
- Space telescope
Herschel Space Observatory
Herschel was ESA's far-infrared and submillimeter observatory (2009–2013), with the largest single mirror ever flown in space at the time.
- Space telescope
Hinode
Hinode is a Japanese-led solar observatory studying the Sun's magnetic field and corona in visible, ultraviolet, and X-ray light.
- Space telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
- Space telescope
James Webb Space Telescope
- Space telescope
Kepler Space Telescope
The Kepler Space Telescope was a NASA space observatory launched in 2009 that discovered thousands of exoplanets by monitoring stars for transit dimming.
- Space telescope
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
A NASA infrared space telescope designed for wide-field surveys of dark energy and exoplanets.
- Space telescope
Planck
ESA's Planck mission (2009–2013) mapped the cosmic microwave background with unprecedented precision, refining the age and composition of the universe.
- Space telescope
PLATO (exoplanet mission)
PLATO is a European Space Agency mission that will hunt for terrestrial planets in the habitable zones of bright, Sun-like stars using an array of small telescopes to watch for transits, while asteroseismology of the host stars pins down their ages and sizes. Selected as ESA's third medium-class mission, it is planned for launch in 2026.
- Space telescope
SOHO
SOHO, a joint ESA–NASA mission, has studied the Sun from the L1 point since 1995 and is also the most prolific discoverer of comets.
- Space telescope
Solar Dynamics Observatory
The Solar Dynamics Observatory watches the Sun continuously in many wavelengths, capturing the dynamics of solar activity in extraordinary detail.
- Space telescope
Spitzer Space Telescope
The Spitzer Space Telescope was a NASA infrared space observatory operating from 2003 to 2020.
- Space telescope
TESS
TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is a NASA space telescope launched in 2018 that surveys nearby bright stars to detect transiting exoplanets.
- Space telescope
TRACE
TRACE (1998–2010) imaged the Sun's transition region and corona in ultraviolet light, revealing the fine structure of magnetic loops.
- Space telescope
WISE
WISE surveyed the entire sky in infrared light, cataloguing hundreds of millions of objects and, as NEOWISE, tracking near-Earth asteroids.