This list of space telescopes (astronomical space observatories) 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 (e.g., the Sun and its planets), 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 (periapsis) and the maximum distance (apoapsis) between the telescope and the center of mass of the Sun are given in astronomical units (AU).

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 LocationRef(s) Proton-1 USSR Earth orbit (183-589 km) Proton-2 USSR Earth orbit (191-637 km) Proton-4 USSR Earth orbit (248-477 km) Proton 4 at NASA NSSDC Master Catalog Small Astronomy Satellite 2 (SAS-B) NASA Earth orbit (443–632 km) Cos-B ESA Earth orbit (339.6–99,876 km) High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3 NASA Earth orbit (486.4–504.9 km) Granat CNRS & IKI Earth orbit (2,000–200,000 km) Gamma USSR, CNES, RSA Earth orbit (375 km) Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) NASA Earth orbit (362–457 km) Low Energy Gamma Ray Imager (LEGRI) INTA Earth orbit (600 km) High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE 2) NASA Earth orbit (590–650 km) International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) ESA Earth orbit (639–153,000 km) Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory NASA — Earth orbit (585–604 km) Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini Leggero (AGILE) ISA 18 Earth orbit (524–553 km) Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope NASA — Earth orbit (555 km) Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (IKAROS) JAXA 21 May 2015 Heliocentric orbit Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) CNSA & CNES — Earth orbit (625–625 km)

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 (cataclysmic variable stars), neutron star or black hole (X-ray binaries). 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 LocationRef(s) Uhuru (Small Astronomy Satellite 1, SAS-A) NASA Earth orbit (531–572 km) Astronomical Netherlands Satellite (ANS) SRON Earth orbit (266–1176 km) Ariel V SRC & NASA Earth orbit (520 km) Aryabhata ISRO Earth orbit (563–619 km) Small Astronomy Satellite 3 (SAS-C) NASA Earth orbit (509–516 km) Cos-B ESA Earth orbit (339.6–99,876 km) Cosmic Radiation Satellite (CORSA) ISAS Failed launch High Energy Astronomy Observatory 1 (HEAO 1) NASA Earth orbit (445 km) Einstein Observatory (HEAO 2) NASA Earth orbit (465–476 km) Hakucho (CORSA-b) ISAS Earth orbit (421–433 km) High Energy Astronomy Observatory 3 (HEAO 3) NASA Earth orbit (486.4–504.9 km) Tenma (Astro-B) ISAS Earth orbit (489–503 km) Astron IKI Earth orbit (2,000–200,000 km) EXOSAT ESA Earth orbit (347–191,709 km) Ginga (Astro-C) ISAS Earth orbit (517–708 km) Granat CNRS & IKI Earth orbit (2,000–200,000 km) ROSAT NASA & DLR Re-entry 23 October 2011. Formerly Earth orbit (580 km) Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1 NASA Earth orbit (500 km) Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA, Astro-D) ISAS & NASA Earth orbit (523.6–615.3 km) Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors (Alexis) LANL Earth orbit (749–844 km) Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) NASA Earth orbit (409 km) BeppoSAX ASI Earth orbit (575–594 km) A Broadband Imaging X-ray All-sky Survey (ABRIXAS) DLR Earth orbit (549–598 km) Chandra X-ray Observatory NASA — Earth orbit (9,942–140,000 km) XMM-Newton ESA — Earth orbit (7,365–114,000 km) High Energy Transient Explorer 2 (HETE 2) NASA Earth orbit (590–650 km) International Gamma Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) ESA Earth orbit (639–153,000 km) Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory NASA — Earth orbit (585–604 km) Suzaku (Astro-E2) JAXA & NASA Earth orbit (550 km) Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini Leggero (AGILE) ISA 18 Earth orbit (524–553 km) Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) NASA — Earth orbit (603.5 km) AstroSat ISRO — Earth orbit (600–650 km) Hitomi (Astro-H) JAXA Earth orbit (575 km) Mikhailo Lomonosov Moscow State University Earth orbit (478–493 km) Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) NASA — International Space Station Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) CNSA & CAS — Low Earth orbit (545–554.1 km) Spektr-RG RSRI & MPE — Sun-Earth L2 Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) NASA— Earth orbit (540 km)IXPE the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer. 29 August 2017. Proc. SPIE 10397, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XX, 103970I (29 August 2017); Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy (LEIA) CAS— Low Earth orbitX-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) JAXA & NASA — Earth orbit (550 km) X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) ISRO & RRI — Earth orbit (638–653 km) Einstein Probe CAS & ESA & MPE — Earth orbit (581–593 km) Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) CNSA & CNES — Earth orbit (625–625 km) 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(s) OAO-2 (Stargazer) NASA Earth orbit (749–758 km) Orion 1 and Orion 2 Space Observatories USSR (Orion 1); (Orion 2) ; 1973 Earth orbit (Orion 1: 200–222 km; Orion 2: 188–247 km) Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph (UVC) NASA Descartes Highlands on lunar surface OAO-3 Copernicus NASA Earth orbit (713–724 km) Astronomical Netherlands Satellite (ANS) SRON Earth orbit (266–1176 km) International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) ESA & NASA & SERC Earth orbit (32,050–52,254 km) Astron IKI Earth orbit (2,000–200,000 km) Hubble Space Telescope NASA & ESA — Earth orbit (586–610 km) Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1 NASA Earth orbit (500 km) Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) NASA Earth orbit (515–527 km) Astro 2 NASA Earth orbit (349–363 km) Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) NASA & CNES & CSA Earth orbit (752–767 km) Cosmic Hot Interstellar Spectrometer (CHIPS) NASA Earth orbit (578–594 km) Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) NASA Earth orbit (691–697 km) . Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Satellite 4 (Kaistsat 4) KARI ? Earth orbit (675–695 km) Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift) NASA — Earth orbit (585–604 km) Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) NASA — Earth orbit (387–415 km) Hisaki (SPRINT-A) JAXA 8 December 2023 Earth orbit (957–1151 km) Venus Spectral Rocket Experiment NASA reusable Suborbital to 300 km Lunar-based ultraviolet telescope (LUT) CNSA — Lunar surface(On Chang'e 3 lander) AstroSat ISRO — Earth orbit (600–650 km) Spatial Heterodyne Interferometric Emission Line Dynamics Spectrometer (SHIELDS)NASA19 Apr 202119 Apr 2021Suborbital to 284.8 kmColorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE)NASA, Colorado University27 Sep 2021nearly 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 (see Astronomical seeing), 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(s) Hipparcos ESA Earth orbit (223–35,632 km) Hubble Space Telescope NASA & ESA — Earth orbit (586.47–610.44 km) MOST CSA Earth orbit (819–832 km) Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory NASA — Earth orbit (585–604 km) COROT CNES & ESA Earth orbit (872–884 km) Kepler NASA Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit BRITE constellation Austria, Canada, Poland - — Earth orbit Near Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat) CSA, DRDC — Sun-synchronous Earth orbit (776–792 km) Gaia (astrometry) ESA Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point AstroSat ISRO — Earth orbit (600–650 km) Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) NASA — High Earth Orbit CHEOPS ESA —Sun-synchronous orbit ILO-X ILOA — Lunar surface Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) CNSA & CNES — Earth orbit (625–625 km) Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope NASA — Sun–Earth Lagrange point

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 (in present context: Earth) at high speed. As such, the following can be viewed in the infrared: cool stars (including brown dwarves), nebulae, and redshifted galaxies.

Photo Name Space agency Launch date Terminated LocationRef(s) IRAS NASA Earth orbit (889–903 km) Infrared Telescope in Space ISAS & NASDA Earth orbit (486 km) Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) ESA Earth orbit (1000–70500 km) Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) USN Earth orbit (900 km) Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) NASA Earth orbit (638–651 km) Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) NASA no observations Re-entered May 10, 2011 Spitzer Space Telescope NASA Solar orbit (0.98–1.02 AU) Akari (Astro-F) JAXA Earth orbit (586.47–610.44 km) Herschel Space Observatory ESA & NASA Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) NASA Last contact 31 July 2024 Earth orbit (500 km) CHEOPS ESA —Sun-synchronous orbit James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)NASA/ESA/CSA—Sun–Earth Lagrange point Euclid ESA — Sun–Earth L2 Lagrange point SPHEREx NASA — Earth orbit Pandora NASA — Geocentric orbit Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope NASA — Sun–Earth Lagrange point

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(s) Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) NASA Earth orbit (900 km) Odin Swedish Space Corporation Earth orbit (622 km) WMAP NASA Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point Planck ESA Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point

Radio