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Spitzer (retired)

Also spitzer space telescope · sirtf

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Retired 2020-01-30 after 16 years of infrared astronomy; it trails the Earth round the Sun. Its position since then is JPL's long-term prediction — nobody tracks it now (NASA/JPL).

Measured

Agency
NASA
Retired
2020-01-30
From the Earth today
2 AU (299 million km)
Height of the model
4.47 m

How far, from the Earth

2 AU. To cross it:

  • Light17 minutes
  • Voyager 1's speed6.73 months
  • Driving at 100 km/h341 years

Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.

Facts

  • JPL Horizons trajectory round the Sun: worst miss 47 km on the dates it was checked against (median 43 km); between those dates as much as about 142 km. Dates after the data was fetched are Horizons' predictions, which it revises as a mission flies.

Where this comes from

  • NASA/JPL-Caltech
  • Spacecraft trajectories: JPL Horizons, NASA/JPL-Caltech; each mission's agency credited on its card.
  • 3D model: Spitzer Space Telescope model: NASA 3D Resources

Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.