Fri, Jul 05, 2013
Herschel Space Observatory Concludes Its Primary Science Mission
This tiny dot against the streaking star field is one of the last views that ground-based observers will see of ESA’s iconic Herschel space observatory.
Herschel spent over three years taking stunning images of the Universe in far infrared wavelengths, but in April the spacecraft depleted the last of its helium coolant, concluding science operations. After this, the spacecraft operations team performed a series of engineering tests. A series of thruster burns moved it from its orbit around the L2 point 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth, and into a heliocentric orbit. Finally, in June, the spacecraft was switched off.
As well as being tracked by ESA ground stations throughout its mission, amateur astronomers have also enjoyed spotting the spacecraft. Last week, as Herschel began moving away from Earth, astronomers Nick Howes and Ernesto Guido from the Remanzacco Observatory used the 2-meter diameter Faulkes Telescope North in Hawaii to image the spacecraft. The observation was a particular challenge as the final maneuvers made by the ESA flight control team resulted in the observatory being at a slightly different position on the sky compared to that predicted by existing orbital data.
But the imaging campaign was successful, as seen in the image presented here, with Herschel indicated by the two lines to the right of center. Stars appear as streaks because the astronomers were tracking the motion of Herschel through the sky.
Herschel’s new orbit will send it around the Sun, coming back into Earth’s neighborhood around 13 years from now. Determining an accurate orbit now is important, because its increasing distance will make it fainter and much harder to keep track of in the intervening years.
(Image provided by ESA.)
More News
Inversion to Launch Reentry Vehicle Demonstrator Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 This fall, the aerospace startup Inversion is set to launch its Ray reentry demonstrator capsule aboard Spac>[...]
"We are excited to accelerate the adoption of electric aviation technology and further our journey towards a sustainable future. The agreement with magniX underscores our commitmen>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: OX5 Aviation Pioneers Each year a national reunion of OX5 Aviation Pioneers is hosted by one of the Wings in the organization. The reunions attract much attention as man>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]