The launch of Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) was originally set for April, but was repeatedly postponed because of technical problems.

The telescope is now scheduled for launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:35 am (0535 GMT) Monday, strapped to a Boeing Delta II rocket.

The 1.2 billion dollar project complements NASA's existing stable of super-powered telescopes orbiting the Earth: the Hubble Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory.

The National Aeronautic and Space Administration calls its latest creation Hubble's infrared cousin.

Researchers plan to use the telescope to hunt for distant planets and other objects orbitting stars considered possible homes to an Earth-like environment, where life could have developed.

"With this mission, we will see the universe as it was billions of years ago, helping us pinpoint how and when the first objects formed, as well as their composition," said Anne Kinney, director of the astronomy and physics division at NASA headquarters in Washington.

The infrared sensors will look into some of the darkest corners of the universe -- places either too distant, too cold, or too shrouded in dust for existing telescopes to see.

Because light from the farthest reaches of the universe takes so long to travel to Earth, the images picked up by the telescope will show the universe as it was in the distant past.

With the new telescope, astronomers will be able to see farther back in time than ever before.

"By studying the structure and composition of dusty planet-forming discs around stars, the mission will aid the search for Earth-like planets that may harbor life," said Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science.

"This makes it a cornerstone of NASA's Origins Program, which seeks to answer the questions: Where did we come from? Are we alone?" he said.

The telescope includes an 85 centimeter (33 inch) wide mirror and three key instruments: a camera that picks up near- and mid-infrared light; a spectrograph to analyze the light; and a photometer that can study far-infrared wavelengths.

"The observatory will give us a better understanding of the universe and our place within it," the project's chief scientist Michael Werner said.

It will also study brown dwarf stars, which scientists consider failed stars that could hold help explain the "dark matter" which makes up most of the universe.

Some observations will also be made on planets within the Earth's solar system, on asteroids and comets.

The new telescope is expected to last from two and half to five years, depending on how well the equipment holds up.

SPACE.WIRE