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The Herschel Space Observatory was a space observatory built by the European Space Agency (ESA). It was the largest infrared telescope ever put into orbit until the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. Herschel was named after Sir William Herschel, the discoverer of the infrared spectrum, double stars, and planet Uranus.[5]
 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[1] | ||||||||
| Spacecraft properties | |||||||||
| Manufacturer | Thales Alenia Space | ||||||||
| Launch mass | 3,400 kg (7,500 lb)[2] | ||||||||
| Payload mass | Telescope: 315 kg (694 lb)[2] | ||||||||
| Dimensions | 7.5 m × 4.0 m (25 ft × 13 ft)[2] | ||||||||
| Power | 1 kW | ||||||||
| Start of mission | |||||||||
| Launch date | 14 May 2009, 13:12:02 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 UTC[3] | ||||||||
| 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)[4] | ||||||||
| Focal length | 28.5 m (94 ft) f/8.7[4] | ||||||||
| Collecting area | 9.6 m2 (103 sq ft) | ||||||||
| Wavelengths | 55 to 672 µm (far infrared) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Horizon 2000 | |||||||||
The device was sensitive to the far infrared and sub-millimetre short wavebands. It had a single mirror of 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in diameter.[6][7][8]
The observatory was carried into orbit in May 2009. It was at the second Lagrangian point (L2) of the Earth-Sun system. At these points, 1,500,000 kilometres (930,000 miles) from the Earth, gravity balances, so the object stays in place.
The Herschel Observatory could record ('see') the coldest and dustiest objects in space. For example, dusty galaxies just starting to form new stars.[9] The United States, through NASA, worked with the ESA to build and operate the observatory.[10] It was the fourth 'cornerstone' mission in the ESA science program, along with Rosetta, Planck, and Gaia.
The observatory was designed to investigate four main topics:
- Galaxy formation in the early universe and the evolution of galaxies;
- Star formation and its interaction with the interstellar medium;
- Chemical composition of atmospheres and surfaces of Solar System bodies, including planets, comets and moons;
- Molecular chemistry across the universe.
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