2 observatories go into orbit
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Reuters
CAYENNE, FRENCH GUIANA — An Ariane rocket on Thursday launched two scientific space observatories that will help scientists better understand the formation of the universe, European space officials said.
The rocket blasted off from the European Space Agency’s launch center on the northeastern coast of South America. It released into orbit the Herschel space telescope and the Planck observatory.
The primary mirror of the Herschel telescope is 1 1/2 times the size of the Hubble Space Telescope’s main reflector.
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