IRMMW-THz in space: The golden age

The most significant application driver for Terahertz components and instruments has been in the areas of space, planetary and Earth science. Satellite instruments for performing direct detection and heterodyne spectroscopy measurements in the interstellar medium, in external galaxies, in the atmospheres of planets and comets and in the Earth´s stratosphere have been flying for more than three decades. Fourteen orbital instruments containing THz sensors or sources have either completed their mission objectives or are currently operational. They originate in Russia, Japan, Europe and the US and cover applications in astrophysics and cosmology; planetary and small solar system body science; and pollution, ozone and climate monitoring on the Earth. At least a dozen serious future mission proposals are under consideration, including new areas of meteorology, terrestrial planet finding and planetary radar spectroscopy. It is truly a golden age for THz space science and applications. This talk will review past, present and future space instruments carrying infrared, millimeter wave and terahertz components and their science objectives.