No. 1 Story
ACCC clears Optus to scrap HFC network and use NBN instead
The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read moreMore From
Herschel and Planck join Hubble in space
William Atkins
Friday, 15 May 2009 18:40
Page 1 of 3
An Ariane rocket blasted off from French Guiana carrying the Herschel Space Observatory and the Planck Observatory. They are set to explore the early formation of our Universe and help us better explain our very existence. A soon-to-be rejuvenated Hubble Space Telescope will do likewise.Even though the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is grabbing all of the news lately with its service and repair mission by the NASA STS-125 astronauts, these two telescopes quietly were launched (well, not that quietly) at 13:12:02 Universal Time (UT) on Thursday, May 14, 2009.
Their launch vehicle was an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from a launch site near the city of Kourou in French Guiana (South America).
The Ariane's payload weighed about 5.3 tons (4.8 metric tons), one of the largest payloads launched into space.
Upon seeing the launch, Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairperson and chief executive officer of French satellite launcher Arianespace, which manufactured the rocket, stated, "Today, we are seeking the origins of the universe.” [Associated Press: “Rocket departs French Guiana on Big Bang mission”’
The launch site (Kourou Space Center) is one that is used by the European Space Agency (ESA, the organization that is heading these two important space missions.
The Herschel Telescope has a primary mirror that one-and-one-half times the size of the main mirror of Hubble. The instruments connected to its mirror will be used to look at the early Universe in the far-infrared and sub-millimeter (radio) wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum.
It is largest and most powerful infrared telescope ever launched into space. By looking at the Universe in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum (a range of radiation) it will see objects that have been invisible to humans before. Herschel will be able to see very cold objects, those that are giving off only a minute amount of heat.
Page two continues with more on Herschel, and a bit on Planck, too.
You think you have a disaster recovery plan?
Think again. Most businesses only have PART of a DR plan - and this spells business disaster in the event of an IT disaster.
Download The Seven Sins of Disaster Recovery White Paper now and find out how you can prevent this happening to you.
