Astronomers have been studying the heavens for thousands of years, but until recently, much of the cosmos has been invisible to the human eye. Launched in 2003, the Spitzer Space Telescope has brought the infrared Universe into focus as never before. Michael Werner and Peter Eisenhardt are among the scientists who worked for decades to bring this historic mission to life. Here is their inside story of how Spitzer continues to carry out cutting-edge infrared astronomy to help answer fundamental questions that have intrigued humankind since time immemorial: Where did we come from? How did the Universe evolve? Are we alone?
About the Authors
Michael Werner is a senior research scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. He has been the lead scientist for the Spitzer Space Telescope since 1984. He lives in Pasadena, California. Peter Eisenhardt is a senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He received NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his work on Spitzer. He lives in Altadena, California.