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We Are Multi-Mission

STScI continues to expand the frontiers of space astronomy.

We use our scientific and technical expertise to realize operational efficiencies among the Hubble, Webb, and Roman missions. Our teams develop science synergies that enable complementary observing programs using these facilities. We aim to excel in the science operations of NASA’s current and future astrophysical flagship missions, and we provide open access to high-quality, multi-mission archival data. We work with the astronomy community to optimize our current strategies and plan for future missions.

  • Hubble Space Telescope

    We are the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope, which launched on April 24, 1990. Our work spans the lifecycle of a scientific proposal for Hubble observations, helping to turn great science ideas into great science. We also share discoveries through various outreach endeavors and archive the mission data for future research.

    Illustration of Hubble Space Telescope

  • James Webb Space Telescope

    As the science and mission operations center for the James Webb Space Telescope, which launched on December 25, 2021, STScI develops and maintains software for the observatory as well as for astronomers. We operate and maintain the observatory as well as solicit proposals to use the telescope, schedule observations, provide calibrated scientific data, and curate a data archive that is open to astronomers and the public.

    Illustration of the James Webb Telescope

  • Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

    STScI is the science operations center for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, planned to launch no later than May 2027. This mission will revolutionize our understanding of dark energy, extra-solar planets, and astrophysics. STScI will schedule and archive all Roman observations, calibrating and producing pipeline-reduced data products for the Wide Field Instrument.

    Illustration of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

  • Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST)

    We build advanced systems for our high-value astronomical data holdings to maximize the scientific impact of world-class telescopes. The archive focuses on the optical, ultraviolet, and near-infrared, and hosts data from over 20-plus space missions missions, including Webb, Hubble, TESS, Kepler, and the upcoming Roman, and more than 10 ground-based surveys, past and present.

    MAST logo with composite image shows a ghostly ring of dark matter in the galaxy cluster Cl 0024+17 in the background

  • Habitable Worlds Observatory

    The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) is the next NASA flagship astrophysics mission that will follow the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. HWO will be a large ultraviolet/optical/infrared space telescope engineered to identify habitable, Earth-like planets around nearby sun-like stars, in addition to conducting ground-breaking investigations across the full range of astrophysical science.

  • User Committees

    STScI supports user committees for its missions that serve as a key interface between the operating agencies (NASA/ESA/CSA) and the worldwide user community. The committees meet on a regular basis, typically twice a year, and provide feedback to STScI and the mission senior project scientists on all aspects of observatory operations.

    Two observations of a portion of the galaxy NGC 628 are split diagonally, with Webb’s observations at top left and Hubble’s at bottom right. The galaxy’s core is roughly centered and the galaxy’s arms appear to rotate counterclockwise. The spiraling filamentary structure looks somewhat like a cross section of a nautilus shell. In Webb’s image, the spiny spiral arms are composed of many filaments in shades of orange, with prominent dark gray or black “bubbles,” and there is a blue haze near the core. In Hubble’s image, the spiral arms are a mix of bright blue star clusters, pink star forming areas and dark brown dust lanes, and the core is a pale yellow.