ESA's Planck Observatory, launch on 14 May from Kourou, French Guiana
continues to cool as predicted and soon the focal plane, included co-designed
and TK-made feed horns will reach their operating temperature of 4 K and 100mK,
becoming - arguably- the coldest objects in the Universe (ignoring cryogenic
experiments on the Earth, where even lower temperature have been achieved)
Images below are courtesy of ESA
The Planck Observatory above and the focal plane with TK horns in the centre
below
For up-to-date information, see the link to the IAS Planck Site in France
1st July 2009