The European Space Agency today launched two powerful space telescopes which are designed to study the origins of the universe.
The telescopes, Herschel and Planck, will explore the formation of stars and galaxies.
The two observatories, together costing some €1.8bn were launched by a heavy rocket from the European Space Agency's launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana.
Meanwhile, two astronauts from the shuttle Atlantis today began the first of five spacewalks as part of a bid to prolong the life of the Hubble telescope.
The spacewalk by astronauts John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel was scheduled to last for between six and seven hours.
"We got the boys all dressed up and ready to go," said astronaut Mike Massimino, who assisted the two men with preparations.
Four astronauts will alternate spacewalks in pairs over the five days.
'It's a great Hubble day,' said Grunsfeld, a 50-year-old astronomer who is on his third mission to Hubble. Feustel, a 43-year-old geologist, is flying in space for the first time.
The two men took several minutes to float from the shuttle's airlock, with Grunsfeld emerging first.
'Pretty cool,' said Feustel, as he followed. 'Fantastic.'
