Space Telescope is an instrument used to observe distant objects in space by collecting electromagnetic radiation (visible light, ultraviolet light, and X-rays) emitted from those objects. Space telescopes are designed to operate beyond Earth’s atmosphere, which allows them to avoid the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere on astronomical images.
The first space telescope was the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO), launched into orbit around Earth in 1966. The OAO was followed by other successful space telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Chandra X-ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope. These observatories have made some of the most significant discoveries in astronomy, such as the existence of black holes and dark energy.
Space telescopes are limited by their size and location. The largest space telescope currently in operation is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is scheduled for launch in 2021. The JWST will be able to observe objects at much higher resolutions than any current telescope, but it will be limited to observing a small region of sky at any given time due its narrow field of view. Future plans for larger space-based telescopes include the Large Ultraviolet/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR) and the Origins Space Telescope (OST). Both of these proposed observatories would be significantly larger than the JWST and would have fields of view hundreds of times greater than that telescope. However, both LUVOIR and OST are still in early stages of development and are not expected to be operational for several years.