Current and Future Space and Airborne Observatories for ISM Studies

TL;DR

This paper reviews the significance of infrared observations of the interstellar medium, highlights recent and upcoming space and airborne observatories like SOFIA and JWST, and discusses their scientific contributions and future prospects.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current and future infrared observatories for ISM studies, emphasizing their capabilities, discoveries, and the field's evolving landscape.

Findings

SOFIA concluded its mission successfully, contributing valuable data.

JWST has begun its scientific operations, promising new insights.

Infrared observatories have significantly advanced understanding of the ISM.

Abstract

A tremendous amount of radiation is emitted by the Interstellar Medium in the mid- and far-infrared (3-500 {\mu}m) that represents the majority of the light emitted by a galaxy. In this article we motivate ISM studies in the infrared and the construction of large specialized observatories like the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which just concluded its mission on a scientific high note, and the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that just begun its exciting scientific mission. We introduce their capabilities, present a few examples of their scientific discoveries and discuss how they complemented each other. We then consider the impact of the conclusion of SOFIA for the field in a historic context and look at new opportunities specifically for far-infrared observatories in space and in the stratosphere.