FIRST artist's impression

ESA's Far Infra-Red and Submillimetre Telescope (FIRST) Cornerstone mission will be launched in 2007 to undertake observations in one of the least explored windows on the Universe. FIRST will observe the births of stars and galaxies throughout the history of the Universe. By detecting the far-infrared and submillimetre emission radiated by gas and dust heated by young stars, it will help astronomers to understand the physics of how stars form and will enable the detection of galaxies forming in the very early Universe. FIRST will be launched in tandem with the Planck mission aboard an Ariane-5. Further information is available at http [Image Date: 1998] [98.12.003-001]