The next major space observatory, the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST), is about to begin unveiling the mysteries of the high-energy universe. Launched into orbit on June 11, GLAST will soon begin studying the most energetic particles of light, observing physical processes far beyond the capabilities of earthbound laboratories.

GLAST's main instrument, the Large Area Telescope (LAT), operates more like a particle detector than a conventional telescope. From within its 1.8-meter cube housing, the LAT will use 880,000 silicon strips to detect high-energy gamma rays with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity, filling in gaps in understanding left by previous missions, and pushing new boundaries in particle physics and astrophysics.

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory operated by Stanford University, managed the development of the LAT and integrated the instrument from hardware fabricated at laboratories around the world. SLAC also runs the Instrument Science Operations Center (ISOC), which will process the LAT data for the duration of the mission. The first data from the LAT is expected to reach the ISOC in early July.