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Herschel Space Observatory

Herschel Space Observatory
Herschel Space Observatory.jpg
Artist's impression of the Herschel spacecraft
Names Far Infrared and Submillimetre Telescope
Mission type Space telescope
Operator ESA / NASA
COSPAR ID 2009-026A
SATCAT no. 34937
Website http://www.esa.int/herschel
Mission duration Planned: 3 years
Final: 4 years, 1 month, 2 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer Thales Alenia Space
Launch mass 3,400 kg (7,500 lb)
Payload mass Telescope: 315 kg (694 lb)
Dimensions 7.5 m × 4.0 m (25 ft × 13 ft)
Power 1 kW
Start of mission
Launch date 14 May 2009, 13:12:02 (2009-05-14UTC13:12:02) UTC
Rocket Ariane 5 ECA
Launch site Guiana Space Centre,
French Guiana
Contractor Arianespace
End of mission
Disposal Decommissioned
Deactivated 17 June 2013, 12:25 (2013-06-17UTC12:26) UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference system L2 point
(1,500,000 km / 930,000 mi)
Regime Lissajous
Main telescope
Type Ritchey–Chrétien
Diameter 3.5 m (11 ft)
f/0.5 (primary mirror)
Focal length 28.5 m (94 ft)
f/8.7
Collecting area 9.6 m2 (103 sq ft)
Wavelengths 55 to 672 µm (far infrared)

Herschel insignia.png
ESA astrophysics insignia for the Herschel mission

← Rosetta
Planck →

Herschel insignia.png
ESA astrophysics insignia for the Herschel mission

The Herschel Space Observatory was a space observatory built and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was active from 2009 to 2013, and was the largest infrared telescope ever launched, carrying a single 3.5-metre (11.5 ft) mirror and instruments sensitive to the far infrared and submillimetre wavebands (55–672 µm). Herschel was the fourth and final cornerstone mission in the Horizon 2000 programme, following SOHO/Cluster II, XMM-Newton and Rosetta. NASA is a partner in the Herschel mission, with US participants contributing to the mission; providing mission-enabling instrument technology and sponsoring the NASA Herschel Science Center (NHSC) at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center and the Herschel Data Search at the Infrared Science Archive.

The observatory was carried into orbit in May 2009, reaching the second Lagrangian point (L2) of the Earth–Sun system, 1,500,000 kilometres (930,000 mi) from Earth, about two months later. Herschel is named after Sir William Herschel, the discoverer of the infrared spectrum and planet Uranus, and his sister and collaborator Caroline Herschel.


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