| Herschel will open a new vista on infant stars and galaxies... |
| With the biggest mirror yet flown in space, Europe's new Herschel Space Observatory will peer through a new wavelength window at the cool regions of the universe. It will be launched together with Planck, a mission to map the cosmic microwave background radiation in unprecedented detail. In addition to studying the formation of galaxies and stars, astronomers hope to use Herschel to study comets, asteroids, and planetary atmospheres in our solar system and how debris disks around stars form into planets. |
| Publication date: 01 May 2009 |
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| Unveiling the Universe - Two missions to unlock the secrets of the cold cosmos |
| In 2008, an Ariane-5 will lift off from French Guiana carrying ESA's two pioneering Herschel and Planck deep space observatories to explore previously unknown regions of the Universe. Their target is the 'bright' part of the far-infrared spectrum that has tantalised scientists for decades. Until now, the technology has not existed to make precise observations of a distant domain that touches the very beginning of time. |
| Publication date: 15 Nov 2006 |
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| Report of the ESA-ESO working group on Herschel/ALMA Synergies |
This is the final report of the ESA-ESO working group on Herschel/ALMA synergies, produced by the second joint ESA/ESO working group (Chairman: Tom Wilson, co-chair: David Elbaz).
The Herschel Satellite and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) are two very large sub-mm and far infrared (FIR) astronomy projects that are expected to come into operation in this decade. This report contains descriptions of these instruments, emphasising the overlaps in wavelength range and additional complementarities.
A short rationale for studying sub-mm and far infrared astronomy is given. Following this, brief presentations of Herschel and ALMA are presented, with references to more detailed documents and use cases. Emphasis is placed on the synergies between these facilities, and the challenges of comparing data produced using both. Specific examples of projects are given for a number of areas of astronomical research where these facilities will lead to dramatic improvements. |
| Publication date: 15 Aug 2006 |
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| ESA SP-1296: ESA's Report to the 36th COSPAR Meeting |
Scientific editor: R. Marsden
Editor: A. Wilson
The report for the 36th COSPAR Meeting covers, as in previous issues, the missions of the Scientific Programme of ESA in the areas of astronomy, Solar System science and fundamental physics. This year's COSPAR meeting will take place only weeks before the end of the SMART-1 mission to the Moon, a technology project that provided the first European look at our natural satellite from lunar orbit.In October of this year, a new mission will be launched: COROT. ESA, together with a number of countries, is contributing to this unique, French-led project that will provide an insight into the interior of the stars, by means of the asteroseismology technique successfully applied by SOHO. COROT will also perform a systematic search for new extrasolar planets using photometric transits.
The record number of ESA Science Programme missions in operation established at the time of the last report was maintained in 2006 (Huygens having been replaced in the list by Venus Express). Eleven different missions, involving 14 operating spacecraft, are providing excellent science to the worldwide scientific community. The Research and Scientific Support Department (RSSD) is responsible for the science operations of these missions and makes every effort to ensure the best possible science return. The Department also supports the realisation of approved projects in all phases of their development. |
| Publication date: 15 Jun 2006 |
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| ESA SP-1276: ESA's Report to the 35th COSPAR Meeting |
Scientific editor: A. Gimenez
Editor: A. Wilson
The report for the 35th COSPAR Meeting covers, as in previous issues, the missions
of the Scientific Programme of ESA in the areas of astronomy, Solar System
exploration and fundamental physics. This year's COSPAR Meeting occurs only
weeks after the Saturn-orbit insertion of the Cassini spacecraft - carrying Europe's
Huygens probe to explore the atmosphere of Titan - and at the same time as the
launch of the second satellite of the Double Star project. |
| Publication date: 15 Jun 2004 |
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| A 3.5 m diameter SiC telescope for Herschel mission |
Abstract
Since ten years ASTRIUM has developed sintered Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology for space applications. Its unique thermo-mechanical properties, associated with its polishing capability, make SiC an ideal material for building ultra-stable lightweight space based telescopes or mirrors. SiC is a cost effective alternative to Beryllium and the ultra-lighweighted ULE. In complement to the material manufacturing process, ASTRIUM has developed several assembly techniques (bolting, brazing, bonding) for manufacturing large and complex SiC assemblies. This technology is now perfectly mature and mastered. SiC is baselined for most of the telescopes that are developed by ASTRIUM. SiC has been identified as the most suitable material for manufacturing very large crygenic telescopes. In this paper we present the development of a 3.5m-diameter telescope for the Herschel Mission. Herschel's main goal is to study how the first stars and galaxies were formed and evolved. The Herschel Space telescope, using silicon carbide technology will be the largest space imagery telescope ever launched. The Herschel telescope will weight 300 kg rather than the 1.5 tons required with standard technology. The Herschel telescope is to be delivered in 2005 for a launch planned for 2007. |
| Publication date: 01 Mar 2003 |
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| ESA SP-1259: ESA's Report to the 34th COSPAR Meeting |
Scientific editor: B. Foing
Editor: A. Wilson
The report to the 34th COSPAR Meeting covers the missions of the Scientific Programme of ESA in the areas of astronomy, Solar System exploration and fundamental physics. |
| Publication date: 01 Oct 2002 |
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| The SPIRE Instrument for Herschel |
| SPIRE, the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver, will be a bolometer instrument for ESA's Herschel satellite. Its main scientific goals are deep extra-galactic and galactic imaging surveys and spectroscopy of star-forming regions in own and nearby galaxies.
In the proceedings of the 'The promise of FIRST', symposium held 12-15 December 2000 in Toledo, Spain. |
| Publication date: 01 Jul 2001 |
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| Photoconductor array camera and spectrometer (PACS) for the Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Telescope (FIRST) |
| In this paper we describe the design of PACS which has been developed by consortium of European research institutions with the goal to build and operate the instrument and the associated Instrument Control Centre. This design is the outcome of an iterative optimization process toward best observing efficiency regarding the key science of Herschel and toward simplicity of operation, and in the context of complementary missions like SOFIA or SIRTF.
SPIE symposium 'UV, Optical, and IR Space Telescopes and Instruments', held 29-31 March 2000 in Munich. More info on http://astro.estec.esa.nl/FIRST/overview.html |
| Publication date: 01 Jul 2000 |
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| The ESA FIRST cornerstone mission |
| UV, Optical, and IR Space Telescopes and Instruments
FIRST, the 'Far InfraRed and Submillimeter Telescope', is the fourth cornerstone mission in the European Space Agency science program. It will perform photometry and spectroscopy in the far infrared and submillimeter part of the spectrum, covering approximately the 60 - 670 micrometers range. |
| Publication date: 01 Jul 2000 |
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| The FIRST/Planck programme: Current status |
| The FIRST/Planck ESA program combines two ESA missions of the HORIZON 2000 program, the cornerstone mission of the Far InfraRed and Submillimeter Telescope and the third medium sized mission, Planck. An overview is given in this paper of the current system design, the performance parameters and an outlook on the spacecraft development. |
| Publication date: 01 Jul 2000 |
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| FIRST payload module and accomodation of instruments |
| FIRST is one of the satellites of the next ESA scientific mission FIRST/Planck, which will be launched in 2007 to the 2nd Lagrangian libration point L2.
It will be a multi-user observatory, watching the universe in the infrared and sub-millimetre wavelength range from 60 to 670 µm.
The payload Module (PLM) of FIRST will accommodate 3 instruments built by large scientific consortia: SPIRE (Spectral
and Photometric Imaging REceiver), PACS (Photo-conductor Array Camera &
Spectrometer), and HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for FIrst). All of them have detectors or
mixers operating in the range 0.3 K-2 K. It must also support a 3.5 m diameter telescope.
The design of the payload module is inspired from the one of ISO (Infrared Space
Observatory). It is based on a large superfluid helium (HeII) Dewar (2560 litres at < 1.7 K),
with cooling of the instruments either directly on the tank, or on the helium vent line (4 K
and 15 K). The last cooling stage to 0.3 K is performed inside the instruments using a
recyclable ³He-sorption cooler.
The paper will describe the latest design status of the cryostat, and its interfaces to the
instruments and the telescope.
SPIE symposium 'UV, Optical, and IR Space Telescopes and Instruments', held 29-31 March 2000 in Munich. |
| Publication date: 01 Jun 2000 |
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| The HIFI Heterodyne Instrument for FIRST: Capabilities and Performance |
| The Heterodyne Instrument for FIRST (HIFI) will cover at least the frequency range 492 GHz to 1113 GHz and will provide sensitive observations with resolving powers ranging from less than 5x105 to 1.2x107. The instrument is optimised for the measurement of weak, broad spectral lines of distant galaxies and for performing fast line surveys of galactic objects. This paper describes the performance, observing modes, and calibration modes of the planned instrument. Companion papers in these Proceedings describe the instrument optics, mixers and spectrometer systems.
In the Proceedings of 'The Far InfraRed and Submillimetre Universe', an ESA symposium, held 15-17 April 1997 in Grenoble, France. |
| Publication date: 01 Aug 1997 |
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