Herschel Space Observatory
The Rosette molecular cloud, captured by Herschel Space Telescope on 12 April 2010
Copyright: ESA/PACS & SPIRE Consortium/HOBYS Key Programme Consortia
The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory has the largest single mirror ever built for a space telescope. The 3.5-metres diameter mirror will collect long-wavelength radiation from some of the coldest and most distant objects in the Universe. In addition, Herschel will be the only space observatory to cover a spectral range from the far infrared to sub-millimetre. ESA's Herschel mission has been designed to unveil a face of the early Universe that has remained hidden until now.
The Ariane 5 ECA launcher, carrying on board the Herschel and Planck spacecraft, lifts-off from the Ariane launch pad at the European spaceport in Kourou.
Copyright: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2000
Herschel will be able to observe dust obscured and cold objects that are invisible to other telescopes. Its major objective will be discovering how the first galaxies formed and how they evolved to give rise to present day galaxies like our own. Additional targets for Herschel will include clouds of gas and dust where new stars are being born, disks out of which planets may form and cometary atmospheres packed with complex organic molecules. Herschel was launched on an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, together with ESA's Planck spacecraft, on 14 May 2009.
Herschel Space Telescope.
ESA-CNES-Arianespace / Optique Vidéo du CSG - P Baudon
Cryoconnect delivered space-qualified harnesses for the European Space Agency’s fourth cornerstone mission Herschel. More information can be found here: Herschel's splendid spectra. For the latest news, visit Herschel Space Observatory, European Space Agency.
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