S I R T F
The Spitzer Space Infrared Telescope Facility

Classification: Observatory spacecraft.

Mission: Observe a variety of targets in the infrared.

Features: The Space InfraRed Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a 950-kg space-borne, cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory capable of studying objects ranging from our Solar System to the distant reaches of the Universe. SIRTF is the final element in NASA's Great Observatories Program and an important scientific and technical cornerstone of the new Astronomical Search for Origins Program. SIRTF will launch January 2003 and occupy an Earth-trailing, heliocentric orbit. Its infrared instrument is cooled by 360 liters of liquid helium.

Stabilization: 3-axis stabilized using reaction wheels.

See also: SIRTF Project website.