Launch Party for the satellites Herschel & Planck

at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn on 14 May 2009

With local TV present, Prof. Karl Menten opens the event with a look at Herschel, the man

Lecture hall 0.02 at the MPIfR filled to - and beyond - capacity already during introductory talks

Christian Leinz introducing the launch, the HIFI instrument on Herschel and its contributions from the MPIfR, namely the Local Oscillator subsystem.

Friedrich Wyrowski presenting science to be performed with Herschel - less than 30 minutes to launch

During a coffee break minutes before launch, duplicates of HIFI LO hardware are on display

Here goes the Ariane 5, right on time!

Leinz and colleagues celebrating the launch ... a bit early as the spacecraft aren't in orbit yet

Now it's the moment to cheer: ESA GD Dordain and Arianespace CEO Le Gall happy after first Herschel and then Planck have separated -
I raise a glass to them as well ...

Signals from both spacecraft have been received, it's "mission success" for Arianespace - but for the scientists, the work has just begun.

For comparision: pictures from ESOC in Darmstadt from another launch party.

All pictures by Daniel Fischer