Mission Update
Arianespace postpones its next Ariane 5 launch at the customer's request
March 13, 2009
Arianespace’s upcoming Ariane 5 launch with the Herschel and Planck spacecraft has been postponed at the customer’s request, allowing time for additional checks on the ground segment of these two European space science payloads.
In a joint decision, Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed on the delay, which will allow for further fine-tuning and optimization of spacecraft operations procedures following recent software updates.
The heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission originally was scheduled for April 16 from Arianespace’s launch base at the Spaceport in French Guiana. A new date is expected to be announced at the end of March.
ESA program officials said pre-launch preparation activity with the two spacecraft continues at the Spaceport. The Ariane 5 ECA for this mission remains in the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building, and is ready for the integration of Herschel and Planck when the go-ahead is given.
The Herschel space telescope and Planck observatory are designed to provide new information on the universe’s origins. Planck will measure temperature variations across the cosmic microwave background – which is relic radiation from the Big Bang, providing astronomers with an unprecedented view of the universe’s first moments and the formation of galaxies. Herschel will provide new data on how stars and galaxies are formed, as well as offer insights on how they continue to evolve.
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