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Herschel Cryostat Vacuum Vessel


Date: 19 September 2007
Satellite: Herschel
Depicts: Cryostat vacuum vessel
Location: Cleanroom, ESTEC test centre, Noordwijk
Copyright: ESA

The Herschel cryostat vacuum vessel, seen here in the ESTEC cleanroom, stores 2370 litres of superfluid liquid helium (He II) which is used to help cool the various elements of the detector plane. In orbit, the black outer half of the vessel faces away from the Sun and acts as a radiator while the reflective half faces the inside of the sunshade and reflects excess heat.

Last Update: 1 September 2019
22-Jan-2026 07:05 UT

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