Space Astronomy
In 2009 ESA launched the Herschel and Planck space telescopes. These were ground breaking in many ways and involved a large team of scientists and engineers in both ESA and industry to be able to realise. At 3.5 metre diameter the Herschel telescope was the largest optical mirror ever flown in space.
The NASA/ESA/CSA Hubble space telescope is very well known, and in 2018 its successor the James Web Space Telescope is planned to be launched by ESA on a European Ariane 5 launcher. ESA has contributed two of the most important spectroscopic and imaging instruments on board in collaboration with its European and NASA partners. Once again ESA’s optical expertise and critical technology developments over the last decades have enabled this.