[Satellite Today 04-10-09] Arianespace has scheduled the launch of the European Space Agency‘s (ESA) Herschel and Planck payloads for May 6, the launch company announced April 9.
    The launch will proceed after additional flightworthiness checks, requested by ESA, are performed on the Herschel space telescope to ensure the telescope’s mirror structure has sufficient design margins for the flight loads it will experience during ascent. The Herschel and Planck payloads will study the universe’s origins.
    This will be the second Ariane 5 launch for Arianespace in 2009.