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Specifications
The Herschel Space Observatory is approximately nine meters high and 4.3
meters wide, with a launch mass of about 3.25 metric tons. It consists of
an infrared telescope, a payload module containing the instruments, and a service
module that houses the warm electronics of the instruments, equipment for
communicating with Earth, and other infrastructure.
Biggest Space Telescope
With a primary mirror measuring 3.5 meters in diameter, Herschel's
Ritchey-Chrétien
telescope is larger than any previous space-based astronomical telescope. Shielded from
the sun, it is passively cooled to around 80 K (80 degrees Celsius above absoulte
zero) by radiating its heat into space.
The mirror is made of silicon carbide, a lightweight ceramic material resistant
to stress, fatigue, and extreme temperatures. It can be polished as if it were glass,
deviating from perfect smoothness by no more than one micron - a requirement to avoid
distorting the images it receives.
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