STIS - Definition

The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) is a spectrograph installed on the Hubble Space Telescope, operating from 1997 to 2004. It made many important observations, including the first spectrograph of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet, Osiris.

The STIS was installed on Hubble during its second servicing mission in 1997, replacing the High Resolution Spectrograph and the Faint Object Spectrograph. It was designed to operate for five years. On August 3 2004 an electronic failure rendered STIS inoperable.

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