Page 31 - Italy In Space
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Space Astronomy [4]
14 May 2009. Launch of Herschel and Planck, the two ESA Space Observatories combined into one
single program and launched together from Kourou on 14 May 2009. Herschel is the largest infrared
space telescope ever launched, sensitive to the far infrared and submillimetre wavebands (55-672 µm).
Commemorative cover postmarked with the special Ariane-5 manual cancel.
Herschel is designed to observe the cosmic microwave background over the entire sky. Main contractor of the
two space observatories is Thales Alenia Space (Italy) which designed and built the two satellites in its Turin
plant, on behalf of ESA. Commemorative covers cancelled with the special postmark in Frascati where the
data by Herschel are received.
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