Herschel & Planck Observatories To Shed Light On Mysteries Of Early Universe

The 3rd and 4th Medium-Sized Missions of ESA's Horizon 2000 Scientific Program, Herschel and Planck, are set to launch on Thursday May 14 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket (BL) from the Europe Spaceport in French Guiana. After launch, the 2 observatories will separate and be placed in different lissajous orbits around the 2nd Lagrangian point of the Earth-Sun System. The 3400 kg Herschel Space Observatory has the largest single mirror ever built for a space telescope. Herschel will use the 3.5-meter mirror to collect long-wavelength (infrared) radiation from some of the coldest, most distant objects in the Universe. Astronomers intend to use Herschel to study formation and evolution of galaxies, creation of stars, and chemical composition of comets, planets and satellites. More than just an infrared observatory, Herschel is the first space observatory with a spectral range from the far-infrared to sub-millimeter. Planck will analyze, with unprecedented sensitivity, the remnants of the radiation that filled the Universe immediately after the Big Bang, observed today as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CL). The 1900 kg observatory will help test theories of the early Universe and the origin of cosmic structure. Together, the 2 missions are considered to be the most expensive ESA undertaking to date, with the estimated total costs reaching 1.6 billion euro (US$2 billion). (Credit: ESA, NOAA)

The Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. From its humble start of 29 'aeromedical examiners' in 1929, the Association has grown to over 3200 members from over 70 countries. This week, the AsMA is meeting for its 80th Annual Scientific Meeting in Los Angeles CA, on May 3-7. At the Meeting, a diverse group of specialists including physicians, nurses, physiologists, bioenvironmental engineers, industrial hygienists, environmental health practitioners, human factors specialists and psychologists come together to share their expertise in the field of aerospace medicine. Explorers of space and aviation environments often face significant challenges, such as microgravity, radiation exposure, G-forces, emergency ejection injuries, and hypoxic conditions. Aerospace medicine professionals are dedicated to enhancing the health, promoting the safety and improving performance of these individuals who work and travel in unusual environments. Conference sessions at the conference will address issues with space and atmospheric flight, undersea activities, the “microenvironments” of space and diving suits as well as the 'macroenvironments' of Spaceship Earth. Pictured (BR): Russell Rayman, AsMA Chairman. (Credit: AsMA, NASA)