ESA Science & Technology - Herschel Focal Plane

Top view of the Herschel focal plane, with the focal plane units (FPUs) of the three scientific instruments:

• HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared), a high-resolution spectrometer, developed under the coordination of the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research
• PACS (Photoconductor Array Camera and Spectrometer), developed under the coordination of the MPE institute, Germany
• SPIRE (Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver), a camera, developed under the coordination of the Cardiff University, UK.

The three FPUs are mounted on top of the optical bench inside the cryostat vacuum vessel, the top of which has been removed in this view to reveal the focal plane.