News Herschel and Planck ready to move to launch site   Europe's Spaceport, the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou     9 February 2009   ESA’s Herschel and Planck missions that will study the formation of stars and galaxies and the relic radiation from the Big Bang, respectively, have successfully completed their test campaigns in Europe. The two spacecraft will soon be shipped to Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.   On 6 February, ESA reviewed the status of the spacecraft and the results of the test campaigns that were carried out over the past year. Following the review, the spacecraft teams were given the green light to start the launch campaign, the final phase of spacecraft activities on Earth.         Herschel in space, close up on its mirror   Built by Thales Alenia Space leading a host of subcontractors from across Europe, the Herschel spacecraft and its instruments were thoroughly tested at ESA’s Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, during 2008. The spacecraft, now packed in its container, will be transported to Kourou by plane on 11 February 2009.       Planck in space     Planck, also built by Thales Alenia Space and its subcontractors, was initially tested at Thales Alenia Space in Cannes and at ESTEC, Final tests took place at the facilities of the Centre Spatial Liège, Belgium. The spacecraft will be transported to Kourou by plane on 18 February 2009. Once at the Guiana Space Centre, the two spacecraft will undergo their final checks and be prepared for launch. Herschel and Planck are scheduled to launch into space in a dual launch configuration by an Ariane ECA rocket on 16 April 2009.     More about...  •  Herschel (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Herschel/index.html)  •  Herschel fact sheet (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMA539YFDD_index_0.html)  •  Planck overview (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120398_index_0_m.html)  •  Planck in a nutshell (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMQBE1A6BD_index_0.html) Related articles  •  Herschel acoustic and vibration tests (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMQP9SHKHF_index_0.html)  •  Herschel spacecraft assembly complete (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM0Z0QJCFF_index_0.html)  •  Planck update in pictures (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM6PB6EJLF_index_0.html)  •  Planning for Planck’s science (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMYLKXXV2F_index_0.html) Read more  •  L2, the second Lagrangian Point (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMO4QS1VED_index_0.html)  •  Observations: Seeing in infrared wavelengths (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMS72T1VED_index_0.html)  •  Observations: Seeing in microwave wavelengths (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEM4B2T1VED_index_0.html)  •  Why infrared astronomy is a hot topic (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMX9PZO4HD_index_0.html)  •  Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMB3AR1VED_index_0.html) In depth  •  Herschel test campaign journal (http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31528 &farchive_objecttypeid=31 &farchive_objectid=30928)  •  Herschel in depth (http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=16)  •  Planck test campaign journal (http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=31530 &farchive_objecttypeid=31 &farchive_objectid=30928)  •  Planck in depth (http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=17)