Mother Nature Networik
April 16, 2018
874.5K
197.5K
MNN.com > Earth Matters > Space
NASA to launch groundbreaking planet hunter
The TESS spacecraft is expected to discover more than 20,000 alien worlds orbiting distant stars.
Michael d'Estries
April 15, 2018, 11:22 a.m.
27
1
The TESS spacecraft will scan an area of the sky 400 times larger than that covered by the Kepler space telescope. The TESS spacecraft will scan an area of the sky 400 times larger than that covered by the Kepler space telescope. (Photo: NASA)
Ushering in a new age of exoplanet discovery, NASA's TESS, or the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on April 16. The space telescope, a successor to the aging and soon-to-be-decommissioned Kepler space telescope, will scan an area of the night sky nearly 400 times larger (roughly 85 percent of the sky) than that covered by its predecessor.
"Kepler was all about doing a census: How common are planets in general? What is the size distribution of planets like? Are Earth-sized planets common?" Stephen Rinehart, the project scientist for TESS at NASA, told The Verge. "TESS is really optimized for knocking on doors in the neighborhood and saying, 'Hi, how are you? What is this planet actually like?'"
NASA's TESS space telescope is one of the smallest ever created.
NASA's TESS space telescope is one of the smallest ever created. (Photo: NASA)
Much like Kepler, TESS will search for exoplanets using something called transit photometry. A transit occurs when a planet passes in front of its host star. This in turn slightly decreases the brightness of the star, creating a signature that TESS's four wide-field CCD cameras will be able to detect. Over the course of its two-year prime mission, TESS is expected to study over 200,000 of the brightest dwarf stars (similar to our own sun) in the closest 300 light-years around Earth.
"We're going to look at every single one of those stars," mission's chief scientist George Ricker of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told Phys.org. "All astronomers for centuries to come are really going to focus on these objects. This is really a mission for the ages."
With so much real estate out there to examine, NASA expects that TESS may discover as many as 20,000 exoplanets, with at least 50 Earth-sized planets and up to 500 planets less than twice the size of Earth. Once NASA has identified objects of interest, they will have future telescopes like the James Webb –– set to launch in May 2020 –– probe their atmospheres to see if they might host conditions suitable for life.
Big tech, small package
Unlike other spacecraft NASA has punched into orbit to study the cosmos, TESS is relatively small. In fact, as shown below, its 12-foot wide, 5-foot-tall frame is tiny when compared to the payload fairing it will launch in aboard the Falcon 9.
#TESS is not big, you guys. pic.twitter.com/sNASpPQAeQ
— Jessie Christiansen (@aussiastronomer) April 12, 2018
SpaceX intends to launch the spacecraft on April 16 at 6:32 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Once successfully clear of the rocket, TESS will complete five independent burns that will eventually place it into what's called a "lunar flyby orbit." This super elliptical orbit, never before used for a spacecraft, will give TESS the ability to maintain a stable view of the cosmos with minimal fuel burn for many decades.
You can learn more about TESS and its mission to survey our closest neighboring star systems below.
Profile
Latest Stories
Michael d'Estries ( @michaeldestries ) covers science, technology, art, and the beautiful, unusual corners of our incredible world.
Related on MNN:
The distinct outer ring of the Orientale Basin stretches 950 km from east-to-west.
NASA's new tour of the moon will leave you howling
Related topics: NASA, Research & Innovation, Space, Technology
Read this next
How one volunteer built one of Facebook's biggest environmental pages
How one volunteer built one of Facebook's biggest environmental pages
Google will never be a substitute for your brain
Google will never be a substitute for your brain
Yes, we're in an abusive relationship with Facebook — but we'll never leave
Yes, we're in an abusive relationship with Facebook — but we'll never leave
Google's London HQ boasts a rooftop garden for the ages
Google's London HQ boasts a rooftop garden for the ages
Is this a housing revolution for aging boomers?
Is this a housing revolution for aging boomers?
Do snakes drink water?
Do snakes drink water?
4 ways to charge a phone when the power's out
4 ways to charge a phone when the power's out
Extremely rare 'star rubies' found by fishing guide could fetch millions
Extremely rare 'star rubies' found by fishing guide could fetch millions
Recommended by
comments powered by Disqus
Trending on MNN
1
Applying CoolSeal to street in San Fernando Valley, Calif
How L.A. is beating the heat with white-painted streets
2
Urban coyote caught stealing newspaper
This coyote was stealing newspapers, so here's what the delivery man did
3
A galgo, or Spanish hunting dog, stands in the road
One woman met a stray dog — and changed everything for a forgotten breed
4
Israeli man reunited with missing husky
TV theme song helps police locate lost husky
5
It's nice to have boy around the house, Rezkallah
Here's what happens when an artist reverses gender roles in ads from the '60s
6
Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula
Bizarre clam video weirds out the internet
Weird science
simulated mockup of astronauts in cryosleep
Cryosleep isn't science fiction
Putting astronauts into short-term hibernation could be more efficient.
Lighting bolt in a prarie
5 events science can't explain
Some natural events continue to mystify us, like the beginning of the universe.
genetically modified corn
Bizarre genetic engineering
Here are some of the weirdest engineered plants and animals already in existence (or on the way.)
illustration with idea and magnifying glass
Do you know your science?
Americans aren't so science-savvy. Take this quiz and see how much you know.
Frozen spider webs
Spider spins web that can hold weight of a human
The webbing was on par with bulletproof Kevlar in strength.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Quick Links
MNN Tools
Connect
Channels
About Us
Advisory Board
Editors' Blog
Press
Privacy
Terms of Service
Blogs
Eco-glossary
Infographics
Lists
Photos
Videos
Contact Us
Newsletters
RSS
Earth Matters
Health
Lifestyle
Green Tech
Eco-Biz Money
Your Home
Family
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Flipboard
Instagram
LinkedIn
Copyright © 2018 NARRATIVE CONTENT GROUP. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment