Planck inside the SYLDA 5
The SYLDA 5 support structure is installed on the Ariane 5 ECA launcher, encapsulating the Planck spacecraft, which was integrated with the launcher four days earlier on Thursday 23 April.
SYLDA 5 stands for Système de Lancement Double Ariane 5, and is a load bearing carbon structure that will be used to carry the Herschel spacecraft on top of the Planck spacecraft during their joint launch.
This overhead view shows the top of the Planck spacecraft through the upper truncated conical shell of the SYLDA 5, with part of the Planck telescope and baffle plus support structure visible. Surrounding the SYLDA 5 and also visible in this view is an access platform that is used to prepare the SYLDA 5 for the installation of the Herschel spacecraft on top, and for finalization before launch.