The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly SIRTF), the infrared component of NASA's series of Great Observatories, was launched on August 25, 2003. The Spitzer Science Center is located within IPAC, and the Spitzer Heritage Archive is hosted by IRSA.

Herschel Space Observatory is the European Space Agency's fourth "Cornerstone Mission". NASA is a partner in the Herschel mission, and the NASA Herschel Science Center is located at IPAC.

The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is the top-ranked large space mission from the Astro2010 Decadal Survey. NASA is conducting a formulation phase study of a design reference mission that would be capable of addressing essential questions in the areas of exoplanets, dark energy, and infrared astrophysics.