Herschel Space Telescope Opens For the First Time

davecl writes "The Herschel space telescope, the largest ever launched into space, has opened its instrument cover, allowing its three instruments to observe for the first time. BBC news has the main coverage, while there is more coverage on the SPIRE instrument team website, and on the mission blog. I'm part of the SPIRE instrument team and the excitement as we move towards our first observations is building fast. The PACS and SPIRE instruments will see first light in the next few days."

Re:space telescope

[uberjack]

I was trying to come up with something useful, but all I could think of was Herschel Krustofsky [wikipedia.org]

Re:Repair?

[tnk1]

I agree. We should also have manned missions be one way as well.

Why pay a few million extra to bring them down again when we have 6 billion cheaply made replacements already available?

I hear the Chinese are itching to get to the moon, they could use the same plan. They could even pretend that they retrieved the astronaut. All they have to do is threaten to run over anyone who said differently with a tank.

Re:it is not the "largest evel launched into space

[bertoelcon]

Being speciesist isn't bad, you just have to know which species to not like, and no humanity is not a good choice.

Re:space telescope

[tverbeek]

"Maybe it'll be sensitive enough to image extrasolar planets."

We don't need any extra solar planets! We have enough solar planets as it is, especially if you count all them newfangled "dwarf" planets like Pluto and Grumpy and Sneezy. When I was a boy we only had eight solar planets, and we were happy to have them... (except maybe the one name after "yer anus")...

Re:it is not the "largest evel launched into space

[Anonymous Coward]

The entry should clarify that it is the largest infrared telescope ever launched. Actually, the adjective large should not be used. Space is not porn. To most people.

The kid's never seen an an open elliptical galaxy. Heh.