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Helium Depleted, Herschel Space Telescope Mission Ends

Posted by timothy on from the say-goodbye-in-a-squeaky-voice dept.

AmiMoJo writes "The billion-euro Herschel observatory has run out of the liquid helium needed to keep its instruments and detectors at their ultra-low functioning temperature. This equipment has now warmed, meaning the telescope cannot see the sky. Its 3.5m mirror and three state-of-the-art instruments made it the most powerful observatory of its kind ever put in space, but astronomers always knew the helium store onboard would be a time-limiting factor." Reader etash points to a collection of some infrared imagery that Herschel collected.

10 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. See? See? by pushing-robot · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll bet you feel stupid for filling all those party balloons last week.

    --
    How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
    1. Re:See? See? by PPH · · Score: 5, Funny

      "What party balloons?", he replies in a squeaky voice.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  2. How hard can it be to send up some more? by michelcolman · · Score: 1, Funny

    Come on, even school kids can send balloons filled with helium up into space. Surely that can't be the problem?

  3. Re:Orbital pickup truck by TWiTfan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey, Bruce Willis and James Bond taught me that the Space Shuttle can go anywhere!

    --
    The cow says "Moo." The dog says "Woof." The Timothy says "Thanks, valued customer. We appreciate your input."
  4. Re:Orbital pickup truck by Virtucon · · Score: 4, Funny

    space shuttle does not fly to Lagrange points

    Rumour spreadin' a-'round in that Texas town
    'bout that shack outside La Grange
    And you know what I'm talkin' about.
    Just let me know if you wanna go
    To that home out on the range.
    They gotta lotta nice girls ah.

    Have mercy.
    A pow, pow, pow, pow, a pow.
    A pow, pow, pow.

    - ZZ Top...

    --
    Harrison's Postulate - "For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism"
  5. and get off his lawn by Thud457 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Andy Griffith says "finders keepers".

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

  6. Re:Orbital pickup truck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    A pow, pow, pow, pow, a pow.
    A pow, pow, pow.

    Ah, their lyrics were like poetry. So intelligent.

  7. Re:Orbital pickup truck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    We'll just scrape 'em off.

    .

  8. Re:Orbital pickup truck by Blaskowicz · · Score: 4, Funny

    So in the Middle Ages we killed ourselves with middles?

  9. A bit of irony there. by wcrowe · · Score: 4, Funny

    I do know how it works and all, but still, I find it kind of ironic that the Herschel Space Telescope is bricked for lack of the second most abundant element in the universe.

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    Proverbs 21:19