List of space telescopes
Name Space Agency Launch Date Terminated Location
Uhuru NASA 12 Dec 1970 Mar 1973 Earth orbit ( 531-572 km )
Astronomical Netherlands Satellite ( ANS ) SRON 30 Aug 1974 Jun 1976 Earth orbit ( 266-1176 km )
Ariel V SRC & NASA 15 Oct 1974 14 Mar 1980 Earth orbit ( 520 km )
Aryabhata ISRO 19 Apr 1975 23 Apr 1975 Earth orbit ( 563-619 km )
Third Small Astronomy Satellite ( SAS-C ) NASA 7 May 1975 Apr 1979 Earth orbit ( 509-516 km )
Cos-B ESA 9 Aug 1975 25 Apr 1982 Earth orbit ( 339.6-99,876 km )
Cosmic Radiation Satellite ( CORSA ) ISAS 6 Feb 1976 6 Feb 1976 Failed launch
1st High Energy Astronomy Observatory ( HEAO 1 ) NASA 12 Aug 1977 9 Jan 1979 Earth orbit ( 445 km )
Einstein Observatory ( HEAO 2 ) NASA 13 Nov 1978 26 Apr 1981 Earth orbit ( 465-476 km )
Hakucho ( CORSA-b ) ISAS 21 Feb 1979 16 Apr 1985 Earth orbit ( 421-433 km )
3rd High Energy Astronomy Observatory ( HEAO 3 ) NASA 20 Sep 1979 29 May 1981 Earth orbit ( 486.4-504.9 km )
Tenma ( Astro-B ) ISAS 20 Feb 1983 19 Jan 1989 Earth orbit ( 489-503 km )
Astron IKI 23 Mar 1983 Jun 1989 Earth orbit ( 2,000-200,000 km )
EXOSAT ESA 26 May 1983 8 Apr 1986 Earth orbit ( 347-191,709 km )
Ginga ( Astro-C ) ISAS 5 Feb 1987 1 Nov 1991 Earth orbit ( 517-708 km )
Granat CNRS & IKI 1 Dec 1989 25 May 1999 Earth orbit ( 2,000-200,000 km )
ROSAT NASA & DLR 1 Jun 1990 12 Feb 1999 Re-entry 23 October 2011 . Formerly Earth orbit ( 580 km )
Broad Band X-ray Telescope / Astro 1 NASA 2 Dec 1990 11 Dec 1990 Earth orbit ( 500 km )
Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics ( ASCA , Astro-D ) ISAS & NASA 20 Feb 1993 2 Mar 2001 Earth orbit ( 523.6-615.3 km )
Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors ( Alexis ) LANL 25 Apr 1993 2005 Earth orbit ( 749-844 km )
X-ray
Main article : List of X-ray space telescopes Further information : X-ray astronomy
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. our Sun and its planets), are excluded; see List of Solar System probes for these, and List of Earth observation satellites for missions targeting our planet. Two values are provided for the dimensions of the initial orbit. For telescopes in Earth orbit, the min and max 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).