Herschel Space Observatory - An ESA facility for far-infrared and submillimetre astronomy

TLDR

Herschel, launched on 14 May 2009, is an ESA space observatory that offers unprecedented far‑infrared and submillimetre capabilities and is operated in partnership among ESA, the instrument consortia, and NASA. The mission’s science payload includes PACS, SPIRE, and HIFI, with the latter housed in a superfluid helium cryostat, and its lifetime is set by the cryostat hold time, providing roughly 20 000 hours of observing time, of which 32 % is guaranteed and the rest is open to the global community via competitive proposals.

Abstract

Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009, and is now an operational ESA space observatory o ering unprecedented observational capabilities in the far-infrared and submillimetre spectral range 55 671 m. Herschel carries a 3.5 metre diameter passively cooled Cassegrain telescope, which is the largest of its kind and utilises a novel silicon carbide technology. The science payload comprises three instruments: two direct detection cameras/medium resolution spectrometers, PACS and SPIRE, and a very high-resolution heterodyne spectrometer, HIFI, whose focal plane units are housed inside a superfluid helium cryostat. Herschel is an observatory facility operated in partnership among ESA, the instrument consortia, and NASA. The mission lifetime is determined by the cryostat hold time. Nominally approximately 20,000 hours will be available for astronomy, 32% is guaranteed time and the remainder is open to the worldwide general astronomical community through a standard competitive proposal procedure.