Herschel and Planck launch configuration

Herschel and Planck will launch together on an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, in spring 2009. The satellites will separate shortly after launch and proceed independently to different orbits around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, or L2. The Ariane 5 will burn its solid boosters for slightly less than 2.5 minutes and its main and upper stage engines for about 25 minutes, setting Herschel and Planck on the path to L2.