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Science Blog ZINC PROJECTS

Two new space telescopes to study origin of Universe

Date: 14-May-09
Author: European Space Agency

Two of the most ambitious missions ever attempted to unveil the secrets of the darkest, coldest and oldest parts of the Universe got off to a successful start on 14 May 2009 with the dual launch of ESA's far infrared space telescope Herschel and cosmic background mapper Planck on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

Herschel, equipped with the largest mirror ever launched into space, will observe a mostly uncharted part of the electromagnetic spectrum so as to study the birth of stars and galaxies as well as dust clouds and planet-forming discs around stars. In addition, it will be the most effective tool ever devised to look for the presence of water in remote parts of the Universe.

Planck is designed to map tiny irregularities in fossil radiation left over from the very first light in the Universe, emitted shortly after the Big Bang. Planck will have enough sensitivity to reach the experimental limits of what can be observed, thus peering into the early Universe and studying its constituents such as the elusive dark matter and dark energy that continue to be a puzzle to the science community worldwide.

Both of these highly sophisticated spacecraft were lofted into space atop an Ariane 5 ECA vehicle from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 13:12 UTC [9:12 AM EDT]. Almost 26 minutes later, and about two minutes from each other, they were released separately on an escape trajectory toward a virtual point in space, called L2, some 1.5 million kilometres from Earth in the opposite direction to the Sun.

(Top left) Herschel and (top right) Planck.
(Middle) Launch of the two telescopes aboard an Ariane 5 rocket.
(Bottom) Artist's concept showing the path of Planck to its operational orbit around the second Lagrangian point (L2) in space, 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth. The orbit of Herschel at L2 is twice as large as the orbit of Planck.
Courtesy: ESA / CNES / Arianespace

After about two months, the two satellites will begin their scientific observations from two separate orbits around L2, where the combined pull of the Earth and Sun creates a gravitational stability point. Once there, undisturbed by thermal and radiation interference caused by the Sun, the Earth or the Moon, Herschel will observe pre-selected celestial targets, while Planck will perform a continuous survey of the overall sky.

Full story: ESA en route to the origins of the Universe