Observatories

Observatories in Space

List of current and planned telescope observatories orbiting in space. LEO=Low Earth Orbit; HHEO=Highly-Eccentric Earth Orbit; L=Lagrange point.

If you are interested in the associated rocket launches for space telescopes, see the 2019-2025 Space Launch Calendar.

1. Name
2. Orbit

1. Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE)
2. L1 point

1. ATHENA (2028)
2. L2 point

1. Chandra X-ray Observatory
2. HEEO

1. CHEOPS (2019)
2. Heliosynchronous

1. COROT
2. Polar orbit

1. Euclid Space Telescope (2021)
2. L2 point

1. Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

1. Herschel Space Observatory
2. L2 point

1. Hinode
2. LEO

1. Hubble Space Telescope
2. LEO

1. INTEGRAL
2. HEEO

1. International Lunar Observatory (2019)
2. Lunar S pole

1. IXPE (2021)
2. Geocentric

1. James Webb Space Telescope (2021)
2. L2 point

1. Kepler Space Observatory
2. Heliocentric orbit

1. LISA (2034)
2. Heliocentric

1. NuSTAR
2. Geocentric

1. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
2. L1 point

1. Solar Space Telescope
2. SSO

1. Space Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope
2. LEO

1. Spektr-RG (2019)
2. L2 point

1. Spitzer Space Telescope
2. Heliocentric orbit

1. Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

1. Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission
2. LEO

1. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
2. HEEO

1. WFIRST Space Telescope (2025)
2. L2 point

1. XMM-Newton
2. HEEO

Find your inner astronomer. Your guide to astronomy.