Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) and Earth, illustration. The SST is an infrared space observatory launched by NASA in 2003. It is is a heliocentric orbit, trailing the Earth at a distance of around 210 million kilometres. With an expected lifespan of around 5 years, its liquid helium supplies were exhausted in 2009. Two of the instruments continue to be used in the 'Spitzer Warm Mission' phase. As of 2016, the SST has been in its 'Beyond' phase, helping to identify targets for the James Webb Space Telescope when that is launched in 2021. | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Jpl-Caltech / Nasa |
Taille de l’image : | 5576 px × 3137 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |