13 March 2009 Herschel, ESA’s infrared space observatory, and Planck, ESA’s mission to look back to the dawn of time, launched on an Ariane 5 on 14 May 2009 from ESA’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Follow Herschel and Planck on our mission websites.
21 May 2009 After a perfect injection by the Ariane 5 launcher on 14 May, the critical Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) for Herschel and Planck has started to wind down, while commissioning of the scientific instruments and subsystems on both spacecraft has begun.
15 May 2009 Stunning images taken from Earth and space show Herschel and Planck in flight on 14 May 2009. The first, taken from Herschel, show the Planck-Sylda composite just after Herschel's separation, about 1150 km above Africa.
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