Comments on: Herschel, Planck’s Big Brother http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195 The place where space exploration, science, and engineering meet Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:34:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Dimitris http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195&cpage=1#comment-312 Dimitris Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:53:33 +0000 http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195#comment-312 Herscel has the biggest diameter reflector that comes into one piece, the radio receiver (telescope whatever) on the HALCO from the link you give, seems to be deployable. (and can be deployable, as those wavelengths don't require the surface aquracy of the IR). Have a look in JWST and how challenging it is to have a deployable telescope mirror at lower wavelengths than those of HALCO. Herscel has the biggest diameter reflector that comes into one piece, the radio receiver (telescope whatever) on the HALCO from the link you give, seems to be deployable. (and can be deployable, as those wavelengths don’t require the surface aquracy of the IR). Have a look in JWST and how challenging it is to have a deployable telescope mirror at lower wavelengths than those of HALCO.

]]> By: dj http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195&cpage=1#comment-42 dj Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:46:49 +0000 http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195#comment-42 Stuart, thanks for your feedback! Maybe astronomers make a distinction between telescopes (as in optical telescopes) and radio telescopes? True, HALCA had a dish with a diameter of 8 m, but it was (is it still operational?) a radio telescope. What I find interesting about radio astronomy is how they build arrays of small(er) radio telescopes. I wonder how you could infer the (virtual) diameter of one of those arrays… Stuart, thanks for your feedback! Maybe astronomers make a distinction between telescopes (as in optical telescopes) and radio telescopes? True, HALCA had a dish with a diameter of 8 m, but it was (is it still operational?) a radio telescope.

What I find interesting about radio astronomy is how they build arrays of small(er) radio telescopes. I wonder how you could infer the (virtual) diameter of one of those arrays…

]]> By: Stuart http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195&cpage=1#comment-41 Stuart Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:04:47 +0000 http://orbitalhub.com/?p=195#comment-41 I'm not sure why ESA are claiming the "largest space telescope" because I think <a href="http://www.isas.ac.jp/e/enterp/missions/halca/index.shtml" rel="nofollow">HALCA</a> should get that title. It had a diameter of 8m and was used as part of Very Long Baseline Interferometry. I’m not sure why ESA are claiming the “largest space telescope” because I think HALCA should get that title. It had a diameter of 8m and was used as part of Very Long Baseline Interferometry.

]]>