Introduction
Our goal is to excel in the science operations of NASA's current and future astrophysics flagship missions, and in doing so, to envision, define, and operate new missions that offer cutting-edge research opportunities for the entire astronomical community.
The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has run the science operations for the Hubble Space Telescope since 1990. We also manage the mission operations center and lead the science operations for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). STScI will also be the Science Operations Center for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The Roman Project is currently planning for observatory launch in late 2026.
We provide extensive support for community missions and future concepts, and a robust data archive, the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). In addition to our primary missions, STScI provides a range of resources for researchers, along with scientific career opportunities, grants, library support, and software, and current and past events and conferences.
HST is a NASA/ESA space-based great observatory that observes at ultraviolet through near-infrared wavelengths. High-resolution imaging and wide-ranging spectroscopic capabilities enable forefront research across all domains of astrophysics. Time on HST is awarded through an open, peer-reviewed competition. The observatory is expected to operate well into the next decade, providing scientific synergy with future flagships like JWST.
JWST is NASA’s infrared flagship observatory. Building on the legacy of previous optical and infrared space observatories, this mission offers orders of magnitude improvements, enabling transformative research in a broad range of science areas—including the evolution of our solar system, star- and planet-formation, galactic science, galaxy formation and evolution, and cosmology.
The Roman Space Telescope is a 2.4-meter telescope with Hubble's sensitivity and resolution, but a field of view 100 times larger than HST or JWST. This mission, in formulation for launch in the mid-2020s, will revolutionize our understanding of dark energy, exoplanets, and many topics in general astrophysics by combining surveys with guest observer and archival guest investigator programs. STScI is the Science Operations Center for Roman, will schedule and archive all Roman observations, and produce calibrated imaging data products for the Wide Field Instrument (WFI).
The community mission office is the focal point for bringing the cumulative expertise and experience of STScI to other missions, such as NASA’s Kepler/K2 mission and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), created by the science community. We broker partnerships between proposing mission teams and STScI personnel to tune relevant support for science operations, data calibration, data visualization, data archiving, peer review, and education and outreach.
MAST is a NASA-funded project to maximize the scientific accessibility and impact of astronomical data, with a focus on science related to data sets in the optical, ultraviolet, and near-infrared parts of the spectrum.
