Abstract
The Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS) was one of the scientific experiments onboard the Space Flyer Unit (SFU). It was a 15-cm telescope cooled by superfluid helium. The mission purpose was high-sensitivity survey of the infrared sky. The IRTS experiment was successfully completed and brought important results for various astronomical issues, such as the composition of the interplanetary dust, the composition and physical condition of the interstellar matter, late-type stars, galaxy evolution and so on. The instrumentation of the IRTS, its flight operation, and scientific results are reported.
