Space is seeming less and less like empty space as new discoveries and reexaminations fill in the gaps. And, ingenuity and technology, like the Spitzer Space Telescope, is allowing examination of the far reaches of the Milky Way and beyond. Even dust is getting its due, but not the dust everyone is familiar with. People seldom consider the dust in space, but interstellar dust is a key clue to unraveling the mysteries behind the formation of stars and planets. With the Spitzer Space Telescope, a compact (4 m high, 870 kg weight) observatory with an 85 cm (33 in) diameter mirror, scientists can glimpse "stellar nurseries" where new stars are being born in clouds of gas and dust. This article describes how the Spitzer Space Telescope was designed to use the challenges of space dust study to the advantage of scientists.