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Ariane 5 carrying Herschel and Planck lifts off

14 May 2009

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At 15:12 CEST, at the beginning of a 55-minute launch window, the Herschel and Planck satellite pair lifted off on board an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2009

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Herschel will be launched in tandem with Planck on board an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The two spacecraft will separate shortly after launch and head independently towards their respective orbits around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system (L2). This point is situated some 1.5 million km from Earth, in the direction opposite to the Sun.

Credits: ESA (animation by AOES Medialab)

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