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| LAUNCH DATE: |
14-May-2009 13:12 UT
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| MISSION END: | In-flight phase: 2013 (estimated) |
| LAUNCH VEHICLE: | Ariane 5 ECA |
| LAUNCH MASS: | 3400 kg |
| MISSION PHASE: |
Routine operations |
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Lissajous orbit about the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system (L2) |
- Study the formation of galaxies in the early universe and their subsequent evolution
- Investigate the creation of stars and their interaction with the interstellar medium
- Observe the chemical composition of the atmospheres and surfaces of comets, planets and satellites
- Examine the molecular chemistry of the universe
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The European Space Agency's Herschel Space Observatory (formerly called Far Infrared and Sub-millimetre Telescope or FIRST) has the largest single mirror ever built for a space telescope. At 3.5-metres in diameter the mirror will collect long-wavelength radiation from some of the coldest and most distant objects in the Universe. In addition, Herschel is the only space observatory to cover a spectral range from the far infrared to sub-millimetre. |
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