Cheops
Characterising exoplanets known to be orbiting around nearby bright stars
The mission
Cheops is ESA's CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite. It is the first space mission dedicated to studying bright, nearby stars that are already known to host exoplanets, in order to make high-precision observations of the planet's size as it passes in front of its host star. It focuses on planets in the super-Earth to Neptune size range, with its data enabling the bulk density of the planets to be derived – a first-step characterisation towards understanding these alien worlds.
The launch
- Launch date: 18 December 2019
- Launch site: Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana
- Launch vehicle: Soyuz-Fregat
- Orbit: Sun-synchronous, dusk-dawn orbit at 700 km above Earth
- 1.5 m size
- 280 kg mass
- 19x19 arcmin field of view
- 1.2 Gbit/day data
Latest
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VideoScience & Exploration
Cheops: the science begins
