US Space Force Wants To Bring Back Retired Spitzer Telescope

A new proposal aims to bring back the retired Spitzer space telescope. According to an expert, the mission won't be easy and could even be the most complex one.

Spitzer Space Telescope Resurrection

A preliminary study aims to restart the Spitzer Space Telescope, which ceased operation in 2020 after 17 years of service, to give way for James Webb Space. The device is used to explore the universe's thermal signatures.

Startup Rhea Space Activity received $250,000 from the Space Force to investigate the concept in collaboration with various astronomical heavyweights.

Rhea CEO and astrophysicist Shawn Usman described the idea as "the most complex robotic mission ever performed by humanity" in a statement to the business on May 10, Space.com reported.

Usman claimed the work would be even more difficult than the five shuttle trips that maintained the Hubble Space Telescope between 1993 and 2009 due to Spitzer's two astronomical units (sun-Earth distances) from our planet. Hubble is still operational, and NASA is thinking about possibly maintaining it.

The research suggests a "Spitzer Resurrector" mission that would depart for the quiet telescope in 2026. Rhea's technology aims to restart Spitzer and ensure it returns to its original program. It will remain nearby until the space telescope is fully operational and back to its total efficiency.

The Small Business Technology Transfer Phase 1 contract for the proposed Spitzer Resurrector mission is being managed by SpaceWERX, the innovation branch of the Space Force. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Blue Sun Enterprises, and Lockheed Martin are Rhea's collaborators on the project.

Spitzer vs. James Webb Space

Spitzer's groundbreaking infrared light research allowed the telescope to observe the cosmos from a distance. To keep Spitzer cool enough to detect heat signatures of far-off objects and see through stellar neocortex dust, the telescope had to be kept at an extreme distance from our planet.

Infrared studies are being made in the furthest reaches of space by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021. NASA turned off the healthy Spitzer to make room for Webb. However, Spitzer observed in wavelengths other than those that Webb viewed, and its location offers a distinct vantage point from which to examine the infrared universe - providing it can be reactivated.

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More About Rhea Space Activity

Washington, D.C.-based Rhea Space Activity identifies itself as a creator of astrophysics technology that supports national security goals, notably in small satellites, artificial intelligence, and infrared satellites.

Rhea has several initiatives in the works, even though it has not yet launched a mission. One of the most well-known is Lunint (Lunar Intelligence), which might debut as early as 2024 and is supported by venture finance firm SpaceFund.

The US military and its allies will be provided with situational awareness for activity around the moon by Lunint. Between the NASA-led Artemis mission and the multiple commercial tiny landers planned to touch down in the mid-2020s and beyond, the moon is projected to be a hive of activity soon. Space Force had already expressed interest in sending missions to cislunar space for more supervision.