The Herschel / Planck Programme - Two Science Missions Launched

Paper number

IAC-09.A3.4.1

Author

Mr. Jean-Michel Reix, ThalesAlenia Space, France

Coauthor

Mr. Thomas Passvogel, European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands

Coauthor

Mr. Gerald Crone, European Space Agency (ESA), The Netherlands

Coauthor

Mr. Denis Montet, ThalesAlenia Space, France

Coauthor

Mr. Thierry Banos, ThalesAlenia Space, France

Coauthor

Mr. Pascal Rideau, ThalesAlenia Space, France

Coauthor

Mr. Yvan Roche, ThalesAlenia Space, France

Year

2009

Abstract

{\bf The two science missions Herschel, an observatory-type mission, and Planck, a survey mission, are combined in one programme within ESAs long-term science programme.

Herschel, an observatory mission, will target the largely unexplored infrared and sub-millimetre part of the electromagnetic spectrum from 60 to 670 microns with three scientific instruments. 

As a survey mission, the objective for Planck is to image systematically the whole sky simultaneously with two scientific instruments in nine frequency channels between 30 and 900 GHz to unravel the temperature fluctuations, the anisotropy, of the cosmic background radiation. 

For both satellites, which have now been launched from the European Space Port in Kourou, French Guiana, on a single Ariane 5 launcher, the orbits will be Lissajous orbits around the 2nd Lagrange Point L2 of the Earth-Sun system. 

Having surpassed the technological problems and the validation of the instruments, this paper will recall the Herschel \& Planck spacecraft’s characteristics, the mission aspects and the science requirements.

The integration and acceptance verification of both spacecraft flight models having reached completion and the two satellites having been launched, this paper will highlight the last stages of development & of the spacecraft level acceptance tests and focus on the major milestones up to the launch from Kourou in the first half of 2009.
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Abstract document

IAC-09.A3.4.1.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-09.A3.4.1.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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