Herschel telescope resting on cryostat

A picture of the Herschel telescope resting on the cryostat, taken on 16 April 2008.

The Herschel telescope has been assembled with the payload and service modules, at ESA's European Space Research and Technology Centre, completing the assembly of the entire spacecraft. This powerful telescope will allow scientists to look deep into space, at long infrared wavelengths. Herschel’s spectral coverage, which ranges from far-infrared to sub-millimetre wavelengths, will be made available for space-based observations for the first time.