The vast universe hanging in our night sky has captivated imaginations and fueled curiosity for centuries, and technological innovations are allowing us to understand it like never before. International Astronomy Day, celebrated on May 18, 2024, is a celebration of remarkable achievements in space exploration and the massive missions which have opened the cosmos to us.
At BAE Systems, we’re proud to be a long-trusted partner on the world’s most ambitious astrophysics missions, including every one of NASA’s Great Observatories. With our cutting-edge technology and unwavering dedication to scientific discovery, we play a pivotal role in expanding our understanding of the universe.
To mark International Astronomy Day, we celebrate the Great Observatories which began unravelling the secrets of space, as well as look forward to future flagship missions that will further deepen our comprehension of the cosmos.
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (Hubble), the world’s first large, space-based telescope, prepared to capture the universe as it had never been captured before. After launching in 1990, scientists discovered Hubble’s primary mirror had a flaw, resulting in ‘fuzzy’ images. An innovative solution called the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR), built by BAE Systems, was installed on Hubble in 1993 and helped reveal the cosmos in crisp focus.
BAE Systems also built seven science instruments for the observatory, five of which are still in operation today. We also built more than eight custom tools to support astronauts during servicing missions. All of that technology has enabled more than 30 years of incredible observation and discovery. Not only has Hubble data produced more than 21,000 scientific papers and countless discoveries about our universe, but the iconic images it created have become a cultural touchstone and opened the world’s eyes to the grandeur of the cosmos.
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
A year after the launch of Hubble, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (Compton) began its mission to explore high-energy phenomena in galaxies across the universe. Compton’s unique combination of instruments detected a range of high-energy radiation called gamma rays.
BAE Systems contributed to the success of Compton with its Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) and two fixed-head standard star trackers.
The OSSE instrument completed the most comprehensive survey of the center of our Milky Way, discovering that radiation is focused on the center of the galaxy. Compton returned valuable scientific data for nine years before it was intentionally deorbited in 2000, significantly exceeding its two-year design life.
Chandra X-Ray Observatory
NASA’s fourth Great Observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope (Spitzer), launched in 2003. Using infrared detectors, Spitzer captured celestial objects that are too dim, distant, or cool to study with other astronomical techniques.
BAE Systems developed two of Spitzer’s three instruments, the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS). Additionally, BAE Systems was responsible for the Cryogenic Telescope Assembly (CTA), which acts as the “eye” of Spitzer. The unique cooling system aboard the CTA allowed a “warm” launch, which was a historic first in space flight.
Spitzer became the first telescope to directly capture light from exoplanets and has been very successful in looking beyond our solar system and peering at exoplanets, discovering five of seven Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system.
Spitzer Space Telescope
NASA’s fourth Great Observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope (Spitzer), launched in 2003. Using infrared detectors, Spitzer captured celestial objects that are too dim, distant, or cool to study with other astronomical techniques.
BAE Systems developed two of Spitzer’s three instruments, the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS). Additionally, BAE Systems was responsible for the Cryogenic Telescope Assembly (CTA), which acts as the “eye” of Spitzer. The unique cooling system aboard the CTA allowed a “warm” launch, which was a historic first in space flight.
Spitzer became the first telescope to directly capture light from exoplanets and has been very successful in looking beyond our solar system and peering at exoplanets, discovering five of seven Earth-sized planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system.
Advancing Astrophysics
In addition to supporting the Great Observatories, BAE Systems continues to innovate and advance technologies for major astrophysics missions.
We were an integral partner on the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), which launched in 2021 as the most ambitious and complex space science observatory ever built. Webb is already sending back groundbreaking results, altering our understanding of the early universe and letting us all enjoy the cosmos in greater depth and detail than ever before. BAE Systems designed and built the advanced optical technology, lightweight mirror system, cryogenic flight electronics boxes, and supported the on orbit optical alignment that enables Webb to look 13.5 billion years back in time.
Looking ahead, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) is NASA’s next premier astrophysics observatory. Roman will provide a large-scale survey in infrared wavelengths, with a field of view 100 times greater than Hubble.
Expected to launch in the mid-2020s, the observatory is designed to capture data that will allow astronomers to unlock the mysteries of the universe, studying dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets, and the early universe, as well as discovering exoplanets farther away and smaller than most exoplanet discovering telescopes can find.
BAE Systems was selected by NASA to design and develop the Wide Field Instrument (WFI) opto-mechanical assembly, provide focal plane system integration, and instrument level environmental test. The opto-mechanical assembly provides the stable structure and thermal environment that enables the WFI to perform at exquisite levels.
The Beyond
NASA is laying the groundwork for its next flagship astrophysics mission, the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a UV/Optical/InfraRed telescope mission concept that would be able to determine the atmospheric composition of rocky exoplanets close to their star.
While HWO is poised to be the next frontier in exploring the cosmos, it will need to be significantly more sensitive than the most complex telescope on orbit today, which is the Webb telescope. That thousandfold leap comes with colossal technical challenges, which BAE Systems is already working to solve. HWO would not only join its flagship predecessors in making textbook-changing discoveries, but it will also get us so much closer to answering one of the fundamental questions of space exploration: are we alone in the universe?
We’re excited to honor International Astronomy Day by celebrating the spirit of exploration, innovation, and discovery that propels us closer to the stars.