Planck Space Telescope

The Planck Space Telescope was a European space observatory launched in 2009 to study the Universe's earliest moments. It observed the faint cosmic microwave background radiation—the afterglow of the Big Bang—with incredible sensitivity and precision. By doing so, Planck helped scientists map the universe's initial conditions, understand its composition, and refine models of cosmic evolution. Operating in space allowed it to avoid Earth's atmosphere, which can interfere with such measurements. The mission provided valuable data, contributing significantly to our understanding of the universe’s origin, structure, and fundamental physics.