Have you read the great update by the BBC’s Jonathan Amos?
The process of disposing of the Planck space telescope has begun.
The satellite, which mapped the “oldest light” in the Universe in unprecedented detail, has completed its mission and will be turned off in two weeks’ time.
Artist’s impression of the Planck spacecraft Credit: ESA/AOES Medialab
It is currently some 1.6 million km from Earth, where it is undergoing some final engineering tests.
European Space Agency controllers will initiate a big burn on Planck’s thrusters on [9 October], pushing it away from the planet into a separate orbit.
A second burn on 21 October will run the satellite’s propellant supply to exhaustion.
“We drain everything so there’s no possibility of having an exploding tank in the future,” explained Steve Foley, Esa’s spacecraft operations manager for Planck.
Discussion: no comments