Abstract

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF, NASA's last Great Observatory, will be launched in January 2003. SIRTF will provide astronomers with orders of magnitude gain in sensitivity over any previous or current facilities over its operating wavelength range of 3 - 180 micrometers.  SIRTF will address problems in astrophysics ranging from the formation and evolution of stars and planetary systems, to the formation of galaxies in the early universe.  After describing the observatory and some of the major technical advances that it incorporates, I will describe some of the scientific programs that will be executed in the first year of SIRTF's planned 5 year mission.