IRS: the Infrared Spectrograph on SIRTF

The Infrared Spectrograph (IRS)is one of the three instruments on board the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) to be launched in December 2001. The IRS will provide high resolution spectra R~600 from 10–37microns and low resolution spectra R~60 from 5.3–40microns Its high sensitivity and ``spectral mapping-mode’’ make it a powerful instrument for observing both faint point-like and extended sources.