 | XMM (X-ray Multi-Mirror) spacecraft to be built by 35 European companies. The spacecraft weighs about 3.9 tons and is scheduled for launch in 1999. It will deploy three high-performance telescopes for advanced x-ray astronomy (courtesy of Dornier/Daimler-Benz Aerospace and the European Space Agency). |
 | FIRST (Far Infrared and Submillimeter Space Telescope). The spacecraft is to be launched in 2006 to study spectroscopy and photometry in the far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. A major part of the electromagnetic spectrum still remains mainly inaccessible to astronomers (courtesy of the European Space Agency). |
 | Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility - Imaging (AXAF-I) (courtesy of TRW Space and Electronics Group). |
 | Artist's rendering of the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysical Laboratory (INTEGRAL). The total launch mass is 4000 kg, and the payload launch mass is 2000 kg. The spacecraft will be launched in 2001 into a highly eccentric geosynchronous orbit. The cut-away view shows science instruments (courtesy of the European Space Agency). |
 | Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) based on the Orbiting Stellar Interferometer architecture, which will serve as a pathfinder for future large imaging interferometers in space. |
 | Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). TRW and Lockheed Martin concepts for studying baby galaxies. The TRW concept is an eight-meter diameter telescope shaded from the Sun’s rays by a deployable silver-teflon sunshield and four aluminized mylar thermal shields measuring approximately 15m ´ 29m (courtesy of TRW and Lockheed Martin Civil Space Program). |
 | Artist’s rendition of Planet Finder (PF) spacecraft-space infrared interferometer consisting of four 1.5 m telescopes in a linear 75 m baseline array for detecting and characterizing Earth-like systems (courtesy of JPL). |
 | The Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) scheduled for launch in 1997, one of the SMEX missions currently in development (courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). |
 | Wide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) scheduled for launch in 1998, one of the SMEX missions currently in development (courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). |
 | Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP), scheduled for launch in 2000, one of the candidate MIDEX missions (courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). |
 | Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) Satellite (courtesy of NASA and Orbital Sciences Corp.). |
Future 
