This artist's concept illustrates a supermassive black hole with millions to billions times the mass of our sun.

NuSTAR is the first orbiting telescope to take focused pictures of the cosmos in high-energy X-ray light.

This new view of the historical supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, located 11,000 light-years away, was taken by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR.

NuSTAR has captured these first focused views of the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy. . 

NuSTAR celebrated 100 days in orbit on Sept. 21, 2012. 

In September 2012, NuSTAR obtained deep observations of SN 1987A, a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud, approximately 168,000 light-years away. 

NuSTAR observed SgrA*, the black hole at the center of our Galaxy, as part of a large, international, multi-wavelength campaign. 

NuSTAR has seen the light and there was a party to commemorate the event.

NuSTAR has taken its first snapshots of the highest-energy X-rays in the cosmos, producing images that are much crisper than previous high-energy telescopes.

NASA's newest X-ray telescope is now fully deployed in orbit, allowing it to see high-energy objects like feeding black holes.

Inside an environmental enclosure at Vandenberg Air Force Base's processing facility in California, technicians complete the final steps in mating NuSTAR and its Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL rocket.

An Orbital Sciences technician completes final checks of NuSTAR inside the Orbital Sciences processing facility.

This image comparison demonstrates NuSTAR's improved ability to focus high-energy X-ray light into sharp images.

NuSTAR has a 10 meter mast that deploys after launch to separate the optics modules from the detectors in the focal plane.

Workers push the handling dolly supporting NASA's NuSTAR, enclosed in a protective shroud, into a environmental enclosure.

Workers secure NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) onto a handling dolly.

Workers monitor NASA's NuSTAR as it is lowered onto a handling dolly.

In the airlock at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

In the airlock at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The Pegasus rocket in which NuSTAR will be launched.

Computer graphic of what the NuSTAR satellite would look like, fully extended.

Enclosed in an environmentally controlled shipping container, NuSTAR arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Credit: NASA

NuSTAR begins the journey to the launch pad.  Credit: OSC.

The integrated NuSTAR observatory at Orbital Sciences Corporation in January 2012.  Credit: OSC.

The integrated NuSTAR observatory at Orbital Sciences Corporation in January 2012.  Credit: OSC.

NuSTAR promotional sticker.

The integrated NuSTAR observatory at Orbital Sciences Corporation in June 2011.

The integrated NuSTAR observatory at Orbital Sciences Corporation in June 2011.

Artist's concept of NuSTAR on orbit.

Artist's concept of NuSTAR on orbit.

NuSTAR instrument at JPL on April 19, 2011. The instrument shipped to Orbital on April 23rd.

Final pre-launch mast deployment, in December 2010 at ATK-Goleta.

Assembly of the first NuSTAR optics module was completed on August 5th at Columbia University’s Nevis Laboratory. In reflection: Todd Decker.

The first NuSTAR optics module at Columbia University on 2010 May 16, showing 82 of the eventual 133 layers.

NuSTAR's extendable mast, built by ATK-Goleta, during deployment testing in August 2009.

NuSTAR's extendable mast, built by ATK-Goleta, during deployment testing in August 2009.

Orbital Sciences Corporation's Pegasus rocket seen just after being dropped from the L-1011 aircraft.

Glass sheets atop atop quartz mandrels at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, prior to slumping. Credit: NASA/GSFC.

Three-bay prototype of the deployable NuSTAR mast. Credit: ATK Goleta.