Cheops Passes Final Review Before Shipment To Launch Site | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-11.04.24

Airborne-NextGen-11.05.24

Airborne-Unlimited-11.06.24

Airborne-FlightTraining-11.07.24

Airborne-Unlimited-11.08.24

Thu, Aug 01, 2019

Cheops Passes Final Review Before Shipment To Launch Site

Expected To Launch In The Final Quarter Of 2019

The Characterising Exoplanet Satellite, Cheops, has successfully passed the final analysis review for its launch on a Soyuz rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

All technical evaluations performed by Arianespace on the mission’s key aspects, including the launch trajectory and payload separation, have shown positive results.

“We are thrilled to have passed this important milestone and received the green light from Arianespace,” says Nicola Rando, ESA Cheops project manager.

Arianespace’s launch manifest for the coming months is currently under discussion, with the exact date for Cheops shipment to the Spaceport, and its launch date, to be confirmed at a later stage. The mission is foreseen to launch in the last quarter of 2019.

Cheops is a follow-up mission for the study of exoplanets. It will observe bright stars that are already known to host planets, measuring minuscule brightness changes due to the planet’s transit across the star’s disc.

The mission will target stars hosting planets in the Earth-to-Neptune size range, yielding precise measurements of the planet sizes. This, together with known information about the planet masses, will allow scientists to determine their bulk density, enabling a first-step characterisation of these extrasolar worlds. A planet’s density provides vital clues about its composition and structure, indicating for example if it is predominantly rocky or gassy, or perhaps harbours significant oceans.

“We are very much looking forward to the beginning of our scientific adventure, and to follow-up on some of the known exoplanets in more detail,” says Kate Isaak, ESA Cheops project scientist.

Cheops will lift off as a secondary passenger on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket, sharing the ride into space with a satellite that is part of the Italian Cosmo-SkyMed constellation.

The launcher will also carry five ‘CubeSats’, small satellites based on standardised 10 cm cubic units. This includes ESA’s OPS-SAT, a 30 cm high satellite with a powerful computer to demonstrate improved mission control capabilities that will arise when satellites can fly more powerful onboard computers.

The launch date will be announced once confirmed by Arianespace.

(Image provided with ESA news release)

FMI: www.esa.int

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (11.06.24): Conflict Alert

Conflict Alert A function of certain air traffic control automated systems designed to alert radar controllers to existing or pending situations between tracked targets (known IFR >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.06.24)

“The aerospace supply chain supports industry growth and opportunities. It involves tens of thousands of suppliers from all over the globe which provide parts, platforms and >[...]

Airborne 11.04.24: World Drone Races, Manta Aircraft, Stratus Power Max

Also: Large Formation Skydiving, USCG Medevac, ARTCC Meteorologists, SpaceX 2024 100th The 2024 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) World Drone Racing>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.07.24)

“This is a victory, we can hold our heads high. We all stood strong, and we achieved something that we hadn’t achieved the last 22 years…Now it’s our job t>[...]

Airborne 11.06.24: Skyryse One, MASSIVE Lycoming AD, Coked Up C206

Also: Hartzell Expands, Japan V-22 Ills, RCAF H135 Deal, B-29 Doc On Tour Skyryse reservations for its Skyryse One First Edition helicopters have sold out in just six months. Early>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC