The telescopes can operate together to form a single astronomical interferometer.
For planet detection, the telescopes would operate in an imaging mode.
Robotic telescopes operate under closed loop or open loop principles.
While the telescope is now operating normally, he said, only three of its six gyroscopes are working properly, the minimum needed for it to perform its observations.
The differences in the Hubble and Herschel pictures are a direct consequence of the varied wavelengths at which the two telescopes operate.
Each telescope in the network will operate robotically, without any need for a human presence at site during normal operations.
The near-infrared can be handled much like visible light, however in the far-infrared and submillimetre range, telescopes can operate more like a radio telescope.
The following diagram provides an overview of the way in which the telescope operates at millimeter wavelengths.
The new telescope will operate in tandem with the first, doubling the observatory's power.
In this mode the orbiting telescope will operate like one on Earth, following suggestions put forward by scientists from all three participating countries.
