Vital stats
The Herschel satellite was a tall cylinder, about 7.5 m high and 4.0 m wide, with a launch mass of around 3.4 tonnes.
| The Herschel spacecraft | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | ~ 7.5 x 4.0 m (height x width) |
| Mass | 3.4 tonnes at launch |
| Telescope mass | 315 kg |
| Spacecraft | 3-axis stabilised |
| Telescope size | 3.5 m diameter primary mirror |
| Science data rate | 130 kbps |
| Lifetime | 3.5 years |
| Operational orbit | Lissajous orbit at an average distance of 800 000 km from L2 |
| Attitude thrusters | 12 thrusters, 20 N each |
| Solar arrays |
Flat, fixed panels of triple-junction Ga As cells, Solar array area: about 12 m2 |
| Batteries | 39 Ah Lithium ion batteries |
| Communication |
2 low gain antennae 1 medium gain antenna |
