The Next Generation Space Telescope, which will be located much further away from the Earth than the Hubble Space Telescope presently is, will also explore the infrared part of the spectrum.

Claude Nicollier (born 2 September 1944 in Vevey Switzerland) is the first astronaut from Switzerland and has flown on four Space Shuttle missions. He took part in two servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope (called STS-61 and STS-103). Nicollier retired from ESA in April 2007.