The launch of two large European telescopes designed to probe the origin of galaxies and the Big Bang, originally set for May 6, has been postponed, the European Space Agency (ESA) said Monday.
"Due to an anomaly discovered during tests on a subassembly identical to the one on the Ariane 5 launcher, Arianespace has decided to carry out additional checks," the agency said in a press release.
A new launch date will be announced shortly for the two satellites, which were said to be "in perfect condition" at the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.
The Herschel telescope will collect data on the coldest and most distant objects ever observed to explore the history of how stars and galaxies formed.
The telescope's primary mirror — the largest ever to be launched in space — is a novel and advanced concept using 12 silicon carbide petals brazed together into a single piece.
Planck will examine "cosmic microwave background" radiation to probe fundamental questions about the Universe, notably how old it is and whether it is destined to expand forever or will collapse one day into a "Big Crunch".
Both telescopes were originally to have been launched on April 16 in a dual operation by Ariane 5 rocket from the ESA base in Kourou.
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