NASA Says Goodbye to One of Agency's Great Observatories
January 17, 2020 | NASAEstimated reading time: 1 minute

NASA will host a live program at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) Wednesday, Jan. 22, to celebrate the far-reaching legacy of the agency's Spitzer Space Telescope—a mission that, after 16 years of amazing discoveries, soon will come to an end.
The event will air live on NASA Television, Facebook Live, Ustream, YouTube, Twitter and the agency's website.
Experts on the program will include NASA Director of Astrophysics Paul Hertz and, from the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Spitzer Project Scientist Mike Werner, astrophysicist Farisa Morales, current Mission Manager Joseph Hunt, and former Mission Manager Suzanne Dodd.
The public can ask questions on Twitter using the hashtag #askNASA or in the comment section of the NASA Facebook and YouTube pages.
One of NASA's four Great Observatories, Spitzer launched on Aug. 25, 2003, and has studied the cosmos in infrared light. Its breathtaking images have revealed the beauty of the infrared universe.
Spitzer made some of the first studies of exoplanet atmospheres (atmospheres of planets around stars other than our Sun). It confirmed two and discovered five of the seven Earth-size exoplanets around the star TRAPPIST-1—the largest batch of terrestrial planets ever found around a single star. On Thursday, Jan. 30, engineers will decommission the Spitzer spacecraft and bring this amazing mission to a close.
JPL manages the Spitzer Space Telescope mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Science operations are conducted at the Spitzer Science Center at Caltech in Pasadena, California. Space operations are based at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. Data are archived at the Infrared Science Archive housed at IPAC at Caltech. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
U.S. CHIPS Act Funding Detailed on SIA Website
09/12/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007The U.S. CHIPS Act has moved well into the implementation stage in 2025. But where has that money gone? The Semiconductor Industry Association has been tracking these projects and provides details on its website. It was updated May. Among the five key programs being managed under CHIPS, two stand out as influencing advanced electronic packaging: the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP), and the CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute (MFG USA).
Alta Resource Technologies Advances to Final Phase of DARPA’s EMBER Program
08/07/2025 | BUSINESS WIREAlta Resource Technologies announced its selection as a primary collaborator in Phase 3 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource (EMBER) program.
Creating Connections in Mexico
07/30/2025 | Michelle Te, Community MagazineA concerted effort by the Global Electronics Association—Mexico team over the past year has created inroads for the Global Electronics Association (formerly IPC) with leading electronics companies, government offices, and academic institutions in Mexico. “Our goal is to bring more awareness to what the Global Electronics Association is and what it offers,” says Lorena Villanueva, senior director. “We also aim to increase our membership. Of 3,200 members of the Global Electronics Association, only 180 are in Mexico.”
Bell to Build X-Plane for Phase 2 of DARPA Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) X-Plane Program
07/09/2025 | Bell Textron Inc.Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has been down-selected for Phase 2 of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) X-Plane program with the objective to complete design, construction, ground testing and certification of an X-plane demonstrator.
The Knowledge Base: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow With EMAC
06/24/2025 | Mike Konrad -- Column: The Knowledge BaseAs the electronics manufacturing industry races to meet rising global demand and technological complexity, the need for a highly skilled, future-ready workforce has never been greater. At the forefront of addressing this challenge is The Electronics Manufacturing & Assembly Collaborative (EMAC)—a national initiative dedicated to strengthening the talent pipeline through strategic collaboration with SMTA, education, and government stakeholders.