NIRSpec: Near-infrared Spectrometer

NIRSpec will analyze the properties of light coming from astronomical objects, much as the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) do on board Hubble. It also has an extra trick up its sleeve: a microshutter array, similar to a grid of tiny doors that can open and close, that will allow NIRSpec to measure the spectra of up to 100 objects at the same time.

MIRI includes both a camera and a spectrograph that are optimized for observations at longer wavelengths of infrared light than NIRCam and NIRSpec.at longer wavelengths of infrared light.