In this spoof of old TV action shows, two astronomers search desperately for a way to help NASA's Spitzer Space Telescop | dG1fRW5mbjlQTDVodFE
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00:00Previously on the Spitzer Space Telescope
00:24Spitzer has almost run out of cryogen.
00:30You're the only one that can help us now.
00:33You mean the Spitzer Space Telescope?
00:35Part of NASA's Great Observatories program with Hubble and Chandra?
00:38That's right, Dr. Sean Astin.
00:40Spitzer is the one that looks at the universe in infrared.
00:44Infrared is basically heat.
00:46So for Spitzer to work, it's got to have very little heat of its own.
00:49Which is why Spitzer uses cryogen to cool its instruments down.
00:53Spitzer runs out of cryogen.
00:56And its instruments will start to fail.
00:59Listen, Betty White, this is Dr. Sean Astin you're talking to, and I want an answer right now.
01:04There's just no way around it, Sean.
01:06As the telescope warms up, two of its instruments, called MIPS and the Infrared Spectrograph, won't be able to see anything.
01:13Well, I won't believe that!
01:15It's begun.
01:17I'm afraid this is the end of an era for the Spitzer Space Telescope.
01:21And anyone who thinks differently is just dead wrong.
01:24Well, if one Sean Astin can't solve this problem, maybe two can.
01:30I'm Dr. Sean Astin from the future, and I'm here to warn you not to use that device.
01:34Or if I destroy it, you'll never exist.
01:39It's the only way.
01:45We can't just let Spitzer die.
01:47I mean, it was the first telescope to ever detect light directly from a planet outside our solar system.
01:52It spots asteroids that might impact the Earth.
01:55It finds galaxies, star-forming regions.
01:59Get a hold of yourself. This is no time to panic.
02:03All those beautiful pictures that Spitzer has taken, it would be a real shame if we didn't get any more.
02:10I used my screensaver.
02:18And what will happen to that delightful pet project of yours to measure the rate of the universe's expansion?
02:24Why is this happening on my birthday?
02:28The mystic sphere of Galvonium could magically keep Spitzer cool for eons if it can reach the telescope.
02:33It can't reach it. It's in an Earth-trailing orbit about 66 million miles away.
02:42Close the airlock!
02:45The death station has cleared the planet.
02:48I'm going to text message you a hug.
02:50My phone doesn't get text messages!
03:07And now, part two.
03:10So, you're saying that Spitzer can actually keep doing great science without cryogen?
03:15That's right. It seems that two channels on one of its instruments will operate perfectly.
03:21Which means that it can continue to detect asteroids.
03:24It can analyze the atmospheres of extrasolar planets.
03:28It can search for galaxies at the edge of the universe.
03:32And it can even do that pet project of ours.
03:35To measure the rate of the universe's expansion.
03:39That's great!
03:40Yep, and on top of that, it can still take pretty pictures.
03:44Like this one.
03:46Sounds like we can get a lot of great Spitzer infrared science for years to come.
03:50Infrared? More like infra-ready to find more discoveries, huh?
04:00Now get your feet off my desk.
04:06In August 2003, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope was launched into space.
04:12In 2009, almost six years later, Spitzer ran out of cryogen and officially entered its warm mission phase.
04:19Spitzer continues to operate and provide unique science to the astronomical community.
04:29Next time on the Spitzer Space Telescope.
04:32So, you want to go hit that barbecue place for lunch?
04:34I heard they went out of business.