NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is responsible for a variety of space-based observatories that explore different wavelengths of light, ranging from radio waves to gamma rays. These observatories are designed to investigate a number of cosmic phenomena, from planets and stars in our own galaxy to distant galaxies and the structure of the universe itself.
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is one of the most famous of these observatories. Launched in 1990, the HST has been capturing stunning images of the cosmos for over 30 years. The HST’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is scheduled to launch in 2021. The JWST will observe the universe in the infrared part of the spectrum, allowing it to see through dust clouds and observe the birth of stars and galaxies.
The Chandra X-ray Observatory focuses on the high-energy X-ray part of the spectrum. Launched in 1999, Chandra has been instrumental in investigating phenomena such as supernova remnants, black holes, and quasars. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, launched in 2008, observes the highest energy light in the universe, gamma rays. Fermi is used to study phenomena such as supermassive black holes, pulsars, and cosmic ray particles.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Kepler Space Telescope, launched in 2009, observes the visible light spectrum to search for exoplanets. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), Kepler’s successor, continues this work, scanning almost the entire sky for exoplanets.
In the radio wave spectrum, the Voyager and Pioneer spacecraft, launched in the 1970s, carry golden records that contain sounds and images chosen to represent the diversity of life and culture on Earth. These spacecraft are now in interstellar space, carrying these messages from Earth into the cosmos.
Lastly, the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in the mid-2020s, will investigate the mysterious dark energy that is accelerating the expansion of the universe, as well as search for exoplanets using a technique called microlensing.
NASA’s space telescopes and observatories have fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. Each new generation of space telescope has brought with it new discoveries and revelations, helping us to answer some of the most profound questions about our place in the cosmos. These observatories also pave the way for future missions, pushing the boundaries of what we know and can achieve in the exploration of the universe.
Source link