List of space telescopes

This list of space telescopes is grouped by major frequency ranges: gamma ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave and radio. Telescopes that work in multiple frequency bands are included in all of the appropriate sections. Space telescopes that collect particles, such as cosmic ray nuclei and/or electrons, as well as instruments that aim to detect gravitational waves, are also listed. Missions with specific targets within the Solar System, are excluded; see List of Solar System probes and List of heliophysics missions for these, and List of Earth observation satellites for missions targeting Earth.
Two values are provided for the dimensions of the initial orbit. For telescopes in Earth orbit, the minimum and maximum altitude are given in kilometers. For telescopes in solar orbit, the minimum distance and the maximum distance between the telescope and the center of mass of the Sun are given in astronomical units.

Gamma ray

Gamma-ray telescopes collect and measure individual, high energy gamma rays from astrophysical sources. These are absorbed by the atmosphere, requiring that observations are done by high-altitude balloons or space missions. Gamma rays can be generated by supernovae, neutron stars, pulsars and black holes. Gamma ray bursts, with extremely high energies, have also been detected but have yet to be identified.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Proton-1	USSR			Earth orbit
	Proton-2	USSR			Earth orbit
	Proton-4	USSR			Earth orbit
	Small Astronomy Satellite 2	NASA			Earth orbit
	Cos-B	ESA			Earth orbit
	High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3	NASA			Earth orbit
	Granat	CNRS & IKI			Earth orbit
	Gamma	USSR, CNES, RSA			Earth orbit
	Compton Gamma Ray Observatory	NASA			Earth orbit
	Low Energy Gamma Ray Imager	INTA			Earth orbit
	High Energy Transient Explorer 2	NASA			Earth orbit
	International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory	ESA			Earth orbit
	Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini Leggero	ISA		18	Earth orbit
	Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter	JAXA		21 May 2015	Heliocentric orbit
	Space Variable Objects Monitor	CNSA & CNES		—	Earth orbit

X-ray

X-ray telescopes measure high-energy photons called X-rays. These can not travel a long distance through the atmosphere, meaning that they can only be observed high in the atmosphere or in space. Several types of astrophysical objects emit X-rays, from galaxy clusters, through black holes in active galactic nuclei to galactic objects such as supernova remnants, stars, and binary stars containing a white dwarf, neutron star or black hole. Some Solar System bodies emit X-rays, the most notable being the Moon, although most of the X-ray brightness of the Moon arises from reflected solar X-rays. A combination of many unresolved X-ray sources is thought to produce the observed X-ray background.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Uhuru	NASA			Earth orbit
	Astronomical Netherlands Satellite	SRON			Earth orbit
	Ariel V	SRC & NASA			Earth orbit
	Aryabhata	ISRO			Earth orbit
	Small Astronomy Satellite 3	NASA			Earth orbit
	Cos-B	ESA			Earth orbit
	Cosmic Radiation Satellite	ISAS			Failed launch
	High Energy Astronomy Observatory 1	NASA			Earth orbit
	Einstein Observatory	NASA			Earth orbit
	Hakucho	ISAS			Earth orbit
	High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3	NASA			Earth orbit
	Tenma	ISAS			Earth orbit
	Astron	IKI			Earth orbit
	EXOSAT	ESA			Earth orbit
	Ginga	ISAS			Earth orbit
	Granat	CNRS & IKI			Earth orbit
	ROSAT	NASA & DLR			Re-entry 23 October 2011. Formerly Earth orbit
	Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1	NASA			Earth orbit
	Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics	ISAS & NASA			Earth orbit
	Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors	LANL			Earth orbit
	Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer	NASA			Earth orbit
	BeppoSAX	ASI			Earth orbit
	A Broadband Imaging X-ray All-sky Survey	DLR			Earth orbit
	Chandra X-ray Observatory	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	XMM-Newton	ESA		—	Earth orbit
	High Energy Transient Explorer 2	NASA			Earth orbit
	International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory	ESA			Earth orbit
	Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Suzaku	JAXA & NASA			Earth orbit
	Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini Leggero	ISA		18	Earth orbit
	Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	AstroSat	ISRO		—	Earth orbit
	Hitomi	JAXA			Earth orbit
	Mikhailo Lomonosov	Moscow State University			Earth orbit
	Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer	NASA		—	International Space Station
	Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope	CNSA & CAS		—	Low Earth orbit
	Spektr-RG	RSRI & MPE		—	Sun-Earth L₂
	Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy	CAS		—	Low Earth orbit
	X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission	JAXA & NASA		—	Earth orbit
	X-ray Polarimeter Satellite	ISRO & RRI		—	Earth orbit
	Einstein Probe	CAS & ESA & MPE		—	Earth orbit
	Space Variable Objects Monitor	CNSA & CNES		—	Earth orbit
	BlackCAT	NASA		—	Geocentric orbit

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet telescopes make observations at ultraviolet wavelengths, i.e. between approximately 10 and 320 nm. Light at these wavelengths is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, so observations at these wavelengths must be performed from the upper atmosphere or from space. Objects emitting ultraviolet radiation include the Sun, other stars and galaxies.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Observing location	Ref
	OAO-2	NASA			Earth orbit
	Orion 1 and Orion 2 Space Observatories	USSR	;	; 1973	Earth orbit
	Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph	NASA			Descartes Highlands on lunar surface
	OAO-3 Copernicus	NASA			Earth orbit
	Astronomical Netherlands Satellite	SRON			Earth orbit
	International Ultraviolet Explorer	ESA & NASA & SERC			Earth orbit
	Astron	IKI			Earth orbit
	Hubble Space Telescope	NASA & ESA		—	Earth orbit
	Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1	NASA			Earth orbit
	Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer	NASA			Earth orbit
	Astro 2	NASA			Earth orbit
	Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer	NASA & CNES & CSA			Earth orbit
	Cosmic Hot Interstellar Spectrometer	NASA			Earth orbit
	Galaxy Evolution Explorer	NASA			Earth orbit	.
	Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Satellite 4	KARI		?	Earth orbit
	Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Hisaki	JAXA		8 December 2023	Earth orbit
	Venus Spectral Rocket Experiment	NASA		reusable	Suborbital to 300 km
	Lunar-based ultraviolet telescope (LUT)	CNSA		—	Lunar surface
	AstroSat	ISRO		—	Earth orbit
	Spatial Heterodyne Interferometric Emission Line Dynamics Spectrometer (SHIELDS)	NASA	19 Apr 2021	19 Apr 2021	Suborbital to 284.8 km
	Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE)	NASA, Colorado University	27 Sep 2021		nearly Sun-synchronous orbit with a ~90 minute orbital period
	Carruthers Geocorona Observatory	NASA			L₁ Lagrange point
	SPARCS	NASA		—	Geocentric orbit

UV ranges listed at Ultraviolet astronomy#Ultraviolet space telescopes.

Visible light

The oldest form of astronomy, optical or visible-light astronomy, observes wavelengths of light from approximately 400 to 700 nm. Positioning an optical telescope in space eliminates the distortions and limitations that hamper that ground-based optical telescopes, providing higher resolution images. Optical telescopes are used to look at planets, stars, galaxies, planetary nebulae and protoplanetary disks, amongst many other things.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Hipparcos	ESA			Earth orbit
	Hubble Space Telescope	NASA & ESA		—	Earth orbit
	MOST	CSA			Earth orbit
	Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	COROT	CNES & ESA			Earth orbit
	Kepler	NASA			Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit
	BRITE constellation	Austria, Canada, Poland	-	—	Earth orbit
	Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite	CSA, DRDC		—	Sun-synchronous Earth orbit
	Gaia	ESA			Sun-Earth L₂ Lagrange point
	AstroSat	ISRO		—	Earth orbit
	Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite	NASA		—	High Earth Orbit
	CHEOPS	ESA		—	Sun-synchronous orbit
	ILO-X	ILOA		—	Lunar surface
	Space Variable Objects Monitor	CNSA & CNES		—	Earth orbit

Infrared and submillimetre

Infrared light is of lower energy than visible light, hence is emitted by sources that are either cooler, or moving away from the observer at high speed. As such, the following can be viewed in the infrared: cool stars, nebulae, and redshifted galaxies.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	IRAS	NASA			Earth orbit
	Infrared Telescope in Space	ISAS & NASDA			Earth orbit
	Infrared Space Observatory	ESA			Earth orbit
	Midcourse Space Experiment	USN			Earth orbit
	Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite	NASA			Earth orbit
	Wide Field Infrared Explorer	NASA		no observations	Re-entered May 10, 2011
	Spitzer Space Telescope	NASA			Solar orbit
	Akari	JAXA			Earth orbit
	Herschel Space Observatory	ESA & NASA			Sun-Earth L₂ Lagrange point
	Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer	NASA		Last contact 31 July 2024	Earth orbit
	CHEOPS	ESA		—	Sun-synchronous orbit
	James Webb Space Telescope	NASA/ESA/CSA		—	Sun–Earth Lagrange point
	Euclid	ESA		—	Sun–Earth L₂ Lagrange point
	SPHEREx	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Pandora	NASA		—	Geocentric orbit

Microwave

Microwave space telescopes have primarily been used to measure cosmological parameters from the Cosmic Microwave Background. They also measure synchrotron radiation, free-free emission and spinning dust from the Milky Way Galaxy, as well as extragalactic compact sources and galaxy clusters through the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)	NASA			Earth orbit
	Odin	Swedish Space Corporation		—	Earth orbit
	WMAP	NASA			Sun-Earth L₂ Lagrange point
	Planck	ESA			Sun-Earth L₂ Lagrange point Heliocentric

Radio

As the atmosphere is transparent for radio waves, radio telescopes in space are most useful for Very Long Baseline Interferometry: doing simultaneous observations of a source with both a satellite and a ground-based telescope and by correlating their signals to simulate a radio telescope the size of the separation between the two telescopes. Typical targets for observations include supernova remnants, masers, gravitational lenses, and starburst galaxies.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy (HALCA, VSOP or MUSES-B)	ISAS			Earth orbit
	Spektr-R	ASC LPI			Earth orbit

Particle detection

Spacecraft and space-based modules that do particle detection, looking for cosmic rays and electrons. These can be emitted by the Sun, the Milky Way galaxy and extragalactic sources. There are also Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays from active galactic nuclei, those can be detected by ground-based detectors via their particle showers.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Proton-1	USSR			Earth orbit
	Proton-2	USSR			Earth orbit
	High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3	NASA			Earth orbit
	SAMPEX	NASA / DE			Earth orbit
	Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 01	NASA			Earth orbit
	Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics	ISA, INFN, RSA, DLR & SNSB			Earth orbit
	IBEX	NASA		—	Earth orbit
	Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 02	NASA		—	Earth orbit on ISS
	Calorimetric Electron Telescope	JAXA		—	Earth orbit on ISS
	Dark Matter Particle Explorer	CNSA & CAS		—	Earth orbit

Gravitational waves

A type of telescope that detects gravitational waves; ripples in space-time generated by colliding neutron stars or black holes.

Photo	Name	Space agency	Launch date	Terminated	Location	Ref
	Lunar Surface Gravimeter	NASA			Taurus–Littrow