... 19.09.2001 . ... Credit: Lockheed Martin Missiles Space Explanation: NASA is preparing to launch its next Great Observatory in 2002, but it does not yet have a proper name. ... Currently referred to only as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), NASA seeks to add something more significant. Previously, NASA named its Great Observatories for scientists of the recent past, including the Hubble Space Telescope , the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory and the Chandra X-ray Observatory . ...