Orbiter.ch Space News

jeudi 30 janvier 2020

Cardiology, Combustion and CubeSats Before Cargo Ship Leaves

ISS - Expedition 61 Mission patch.

January 30, 2020

Cardiology, combustion and CubeSats filled Thursday’s research schedule as three Expedition 61 crewmates are one week away from returning to Earth. The Cygnus space freighter is also poised to depart the International Space Station on Friday and complete one more mission.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch is nearing the end of her 328-day mission aboard the orbiting lab. She will land in Kazakhstan Feb. 6 aboard the Soyuz MS-13 crew ship with Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency). Koch blasted off to join the station crew on March 14 while Skvortsov and Parmitano began their mission on July 20.

Image above: Astronauts (from left) Christina Koch, Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan pose for a portrait inside the cupola. The trio were on robotics duty monitoring the arrival and capture of the Cygnus space freighter on Nov. 4, 2019. Image Credit: NASA.

When Koch lands, her mission-stay will be the second longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut behind former astronaut Scott Kelly. He lived aboard the station for 340 continuous days.

NASA Flight Engineer Andrew Morgan juggled a pair of experiments this morning. He ran the Hourglass study observing how simulated planetary materials behave during different gravity conditions. Next, he cleaned a furnace that exposes materials to high temperatures and levitates them to research their thermophysical properties.

Image above: The Soyuz MS-13 crew spacecraft is seen as it approached the International Space Station for docking on the 50th anniversary of NASA landing humans on the Moon for the first time. The Soyuz will return Expedition 61 crew members NASA astronaut Christina Koch, station Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), and Soyuz commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos to Earth Feb. 6. Image Credit: NASA.

Parmitano started his day on cardiology research before switching to fire safety studies. The station commander first scanned portions of his body with an ultrasound device. The biomedical study is helping doctors understand what happens to the heart and blood vessels in space. He then moved on and burned a variety of fabric and acrylic samples. Scientists are using the data to model how flames spread in space to improve fire safety procedures and products in space and on Earth.

International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: NASA

Space Station 20th: Expedition 1 Crew Named

ISS - International Space Station 20th Anniversary patch / ISS - Expedition 1 Mission patch.

Jan. 30, 2020

International Space Station (ISS) 20th banner

During a Jan. 30, 1996, press conference in Washington, DC, US Vice President Albert A. “Al” Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor S. Chernomyrdin announced the assignment of American astronaut William M. Shepherd and Russian cosmonaut Sergei K. Krikalev to the first team of crewmembers to occupy the International Space Station (ISS). Shepherd had completed three Space Shuttle missions and Krikalev had flown two long-duration missions aboard the Mir space station as well as on STS-60, becoming the first Russian cosmonaut to fly aboard the Space Shuttle. At the time of the announcement, Shepherd and Krikalev planned to launch to ISS in May 1998 with a third crewmember, another Russian cosmonaut. Initially, the Russians designated Anatoli Y. Solovyev, a veteran of several missions to Mir, as that third crewmember but they ultimately replaced him with Yuri P. Gidzenko, also a Mir veteran. The partners later announced a backup crew composed of veteran Shuttle commander Kenneth D. Bowersox, Mir veteran Vladimir N. Dezhurov, and space rookie Mikhail V. Tyurin.

The primary tasks expected of the Expedition 1 crew included activating various systems on board the station, unpacking equipment that had been delivered, and hosting three visiting Space Shuttle crews and two unmanned Russian Progress resupply vehicles. The Shuttles planned to deliver new components to ISS including the first set of US solar arrays and the US Laboratory Module. Although the crewmembers would remain busy with the high-priority commissioning tasks, time would be set aside to conduct the first research experiments aboard ISS.

Prime Crew

Astronaut William M. “Shep” Shepherd
Expedition 1 Commander
Birthdate: July 26, 1949
Birthplace: Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Selected: May 1984
Spaceflight experience: STS-27, STS-41, STS-52
Time in space: 18 days, 8 hours, 12 minutes
No. of EVAs/EVA time: None

Cosmonaut Sergey K. Krikalyov
Expedition 1 Flight Engineer
Birthdate: August 27, 1958
Birthplace: Leningrad (now St. Petersburg)
Selected: September 1985
Spaceflight experience: Mir-4, Mir-9/10, STS-60 (flew on STS-88 between his selection and Expedition 1)
Time in space: 472 days, 1 hour, 20 minutes (not including STS-88)
No. of EVAs/EVA time: 7/36 hours, 10 minutes

Cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko
Expedition 1 Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander
Birthdate: March 26, 1962
Birthplace: Yelanets (now in Ukraine)
Selected: March 1987
Spaceflight experience: Mir-20
Time in space: 179 days, 1 hour, 42 minutes
No. of EVAs/EVA time: 2/3 hours, 35 minutes

Backup Crew

Astronaut Kenneth D. Bowersox
Expedition 1 Backup Commander
Birthdate: November 14, 1956
Birthplace: Portsmouth, Virginia
Selected: June 1987
Spaceflight experience: STS-50, STS-61, STS-73
Time in space: 40 days, 15 hours, 11 minutes
No. of EVAs/EVA time: None

Cosmonaut Vladimir N. Dezhurov
Expedition 1 Backup Flight Engineer and Soyuz Commander
Birthdate: July 30, 1962
Birthplace: Yavas (now in Moldova)
Selected: March 1987
Spaceflight experience: Mir-18
Time in space: 115 days, 8 hour, 43 minutes
No. of EVAs/EVA time: 5/18 hours, 57 minutes

Cosmonaut Mikhail V. Tyurin
Expedition 1 Backup Flight Engineer
Birthdate: March 2, 1960
Birthplace: Kolomna
Selected: April 1994
Spaceflight experience: None
Time in space: None
No. of EVAs/EVA time: None

After delays in the launch of the Zvezda Service Module that included living quarters, Shepherd, Krikalev, and Gidzenko launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Oct. 31, 2000. Two days later they docked with ISS, then composed of the Zarya, Unity, and Zvezda modules, to begin their 136-day stay aboard the station. With a permanent crew of three on board, assembly truly began in earnest to develop the station’s capabilities. The Z1 truss segment added to the top of Node 1 added a communications capability while the P6 truss segment brought the first set of US solar arrays to significantly increase the available power. With the additional power, the US Destiny laboratory module came next along with the first research racks. The first of many crew rotations replaced the Expedition 1 crew with a new crew, a scenario repeated many times in the life of ISS.

Left: Official photo of the ISS Expedition 1 crew (left to right)
Krikalev, Shepherd, and Gidzenko.

Today, ISS is the largest space vehicle ever built and a unique microgravity laboratory for conducting research in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Including its solar arrays, it is as large as a football field. The habitable volume in its various international modules is larger than a six-bedroom house. Since November 2000, more than 230 individuals from 19 countries have visited ISS. As a laboratory, ISS has hosted more than 2,700 scientific investigations from more than 100 countries.

Top: ISS as it appeared when the Expedition 1 crew took up residence.
Down: Expedition 1 crew (left to right) Gidzenko, Shepherd, and Krikalev aboard ISS.

Related article:

NASA Counts Down to Twenty Years of Continuous Human Presence on International Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/11/nasa-counts-down-to-twenty-years-of.html

20 memorable moments from the International Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2018/11/20-memorable-moments-from-international.html

Related links:

NASA History: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/index.html

Historic Missions: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/history/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images, Text, Credits: NASA/Kelli Mars/JSC/John Uri.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

mercredi 29 janvier 2020

Crew Works Human Research, CubeSats and Gears Up for Spaceship Departures

ISS - Expedition 61 Mission patch.

January 29, 2020

The Expedition 61 crew’s schedule was packed today as they researched space biology and packed a pair of spaceships for departure. Wednesday morning also saw the deployment of an experimental satellite outside the International Space Station.

Blood draws and eye checks are part of the crew’s regimen of biomedical activities to help doctors keep astronauts healthy during long-term space missions. Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) collected his blood samples this morning before spinning them in a centrifuge and stowing them in a science freezer for later analysis. NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Meir had her eyes scanned in the afternoon by fellow NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan using optical coherence tomography gear.

Image above: The Cygnus space freighter with its prominent cymbal-shaped solar arrays is pictured attached to the Unity module. Behind Cygnus is one of the space station’s basketball court-sized solar arrays. Image Credit: NASA.

Meir and Morgan started the day finishing up packing the Cygnus space freighter with trash and discarded gear before it leaves at the end of the week. Cygnus will be detached from the Unity module with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and released into Earth orbit on Friday at 9:35 a.m. EST. NASA TV will cover the release and departure live as mission controllers on the ground remotely command all the robotics work.

Cygnus has another mission to deploy eight CubeSats for communications and atmospheric research once it reaches a safe distance away from the orbiting lab. The space station also saw the deployment early this morning of a Department of Defense CubeSat that is testing space weather and satellite sensor technology. That satellite was deployed outside of the Kibo laboratory module using the specialized Cyclops deployer.

International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: NASA

Christina Koch of NASA is returning to Earth next week after 328 days in space on her first mission. She will land in Kazakhstan with Parmitano and cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. The trio will board the Soyuz MS-13 crew ship, undock from the Poisk module and parachute to a landing Friday, Feb. 6, at 4:13 a.m. (3:13 p.m. Kazakh time).

Koch will be second only to former astronaut Scott Kelly who lived in space 340 days for the single longest spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut.

Related links:

Expedition 61: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition61/index.html

Cygnus space freighter: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/northrop-grumman-cygnus-launches-arrivals-and-departures/

Unity module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/unity

Department of Defense CubeSat: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7347

Kibo laboratory module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/japan-kibo-laboratory

Cyclops: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=986

Soyuz MS-13 crew ship: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/soyuz-launches-arrivals-and-departures/

Poisk module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/poisk-mini-research-module-2

Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

New Research Launching to Station Aboard Northrop Grumman’s 13th Resupply Mission

Northrop Grumman - NG CRS-13 Cygnus Mission patch.

Jan. 29, 2020

Investigations studying tissue culturing, bone loss and phage therapy will be launching, along with more scientific experiments and supplies, to the International Space Station on a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft. The vehicle launches no earlier than Feb. 9 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

Image above: The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket, with a Cygnus resupply spacecraft onboard, launches from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Saturday, November 2, 2019, in Virginia. Image Credit: NASA.

This is the second mission under Northrop’s Commercial Resupply Services-2 contract with NASA. These resupply missions help NASA deliver critical research to the orbiting lab and increase its ability to conduct new investigations.

Here are details on some of the scientific investigations Northrop Grumman’s 13th commercial resupply services mission (NG CRS-13) is delivering to the space station:

Better tissue and cell culturing in space

Mobile SpaceLab, a tissue and cell culturing facility, offers investigators a quick-turnaround platform to perform sophisticated microgravity biology experiments. Such experiments are critical for determining how microgravity affects human physiology and identifying ways to mitigate negative effects. The platform can work in multiple configurations, allowing investigators to tailor the facility to their needs.

Mobile SpaceLab launches and returns on resupply spacecraft. It performs experiments autonomously with ground monitoring. The crew is responsible for moving the payload from the resupply vehicle to a designated ISS EXPRESS Rack and back to a vehicle for return to ground. This process allows investigators to get their research in orbit quickly and gather sophisticated data using the automated capabilities. Experiments can run for up to one month.

Image above: NASA astronaut Tim Kopra commanded the International Space Station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to release the Cygnus spacecraft on June 14, 2016. After Cygnus was a safe distance away, ground controllers at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio initiated the sequence for Saffire-1, the first in a series of fire experiments. Saffire-IV will launch on NG-13. Image Credit: NASA.

A close-up view

The Mochii investigation provides an initial demonstration of a new miniature scanning electron microscope (SEM) with spectroscopy. Mochii will demonstrate real-time, on-site imaging and measurements of micro- and nanostructures aboard the space station. This capability could accelerate answers to many scientific inquiries and mission decisions and serve the public as a powerful and unique microgravity research platform.

The ability to identify small particles is needed for crewed flight and deep space exploration beyond low-Earth Orbit (LEO) since samples cannot be sent back to Earth. Rapid identification of these particles can help keep crews and vehicles safe.

Examining bone loss in microgravity

Image above: Commander Peggy Whitson works on the OsteoOmics bone cell study that uses the Microgravity Science Glovebox inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory in May 2017. OsteoOmics investigates the molecular mechanisms that dictate bone loss in microgravity by examining osteoblasts, which form bone, and osteoclasts, which dissolve bone. Image Credit: NASA.

Crew members experience bone loss in orbit, stemming from the lack of gravity acting on their bones. OsteoOmics investigates the molecular mechanisms that dictate this bone loss by examining osteoblasts, cells in the body that form bone, and osteoclasts, which dissolve bone. A better understanding of these mechanisms could lead to more effective prevention of astronaut bone loss during space missions.

Understanding the cellular mechanisms of bone loss associated with microgravity also helps researchers better understand bone loss associated with a wide range of disorders. This insight could help identify better preventative care and therapeutic treatments for people who experience bone loss due to diseases such as osteopenia and osteoporosis or from prolonged bed rest.

Fighting viruses with phages

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically invade and destroy bacteria. Discovered in 1915, phages have been used to fight infectious diseases, most notably in Eastern Europe.

With increasing types of bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics, phage therapy offers a possible alternative to traditional antibiotics. In addition, phages can eliminate harmful bacteria without causing large-scale damage to the body’s beneficial bacterial population or microbiome. Scientists also can evolve phages in the laboratory to remain potent even if phage-resistant bacteria develop.

Phage Evolution examines the effects of microgravity and radiation exposure on phage and bacterial host interactions, including phage specificity for a bacterial host and host resistance to specific phages. A better understanding of the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation on bacteriophages and hosts could result in significant developments for phage technology, ultimately helping protect the health of astronauts on future missions.

(Do not) light my fire

The Spacecraft Fire Experiment-IV (Saffire-IV) investigation examines fire development and growth in different materials and environmental conditions, fire detection and monitoring, and post-fire cleanup capabilities. It is part of a series of fire investigations conducted in the Cygnus resupply vehicle after its departure from space station, eliminating exposure of humans or occupied spacecraft to fire danger.

Saffire-IV contributes to fire safety efforts in similar environments on Earth, from submarines to mines, and helps improve general understanding and modeling of fire phenomena.

Related links:

Northrop Grumman Cygnus: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/northrop-grumman.html

NG CRS-13: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-northrop-grumman-s-february-space-station-launch

Mobile SpaceLab: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7692

Mochii: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Facility.html?#id=7657

OsteoOmics: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1149

Phage Evolution: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=8079

Saffire-IV: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1923

Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

Commercial Resupply: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/index.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Michael Johnson/JSC/International Space Station Program Science Office/Melissa Gaskill.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Voyager 2 Engineers Working to Restore Normal Operations

NASA & JPL - Voyager 1 & 2 Mission patch.

Jan. 29, 2020

Engineers for NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft are working to return the mission to normal operating conditions after one of the spacecraft's autonomous fault protection routines was triggered. Multiple fault protection routines were programmed into both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 in order to allow the spacecraft to automatically take actions to protect themselves if potentially harmful circumstances arise. At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers are still communicating with the spacecraft and receiving telemetry.

Image above: This artist's concept depicts one of NASA's Voyager spacecraft entering interstellar space, or the space between stars. Interstellar space is dominated by the plasma, or ionized gas, that was ejected by the death of nearby giant stars millions of years ago. Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are both in interstellar space, making them the most distant human-made objects in the solar system. On Saturday, Jan. 25, Voyager 2 didn't execute a scheduled maneuver in which the spacecraft rotates 360 degrees in order to calibrate its onboard magnetic field instrument. Analysis of the telemetry from the spacecraft indicated that an unexplained delay in the onboard execution of the maneuver commands inadvertently left two systems that consume relatively high levels of power operating at the same time. This caused the spacecraft to overdraw its available power supply.

The fault protection software routine was designed to automatically manage such an event, and by design, it appears to have turned off Voyager 2's science instruments to make up for the power deficit. As of Jan. 28, Voyager engineers have successfully turned off one of the high-power systems and turned the science instruments back on but have not yet resumed taking data. The team is now reviewing the status of the rest of the spacecraft and working on returning it to normal operations.

Voyager's power supply comes from a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), which turns heat from the decay of a radioactive material into electricity to power the spacecraft. Due to the natural decay of the material inside the RTG, Voyager 2's power budget goes down by about 4 watts per year. Last year, engineers turned off the primary heater for the Voyager 2 cosmic ray subsystem instrument in order to compensate for this power loss, and the instrument continues to operate.

Animation above: This animation depicts one of NASA's Voyager spacecraft entering interstellar space, or the space between stars. Interstellar space is dominated by the plasma, or ionized gas, that was ejected by the death of nearby giant stars millions of years ago. Animation Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

In addition to managing each Voyager's power supply, mission operators must also manage the temperature of certain systems on the spacecraft. If, for example, the spacecraft fuel lines were to freeze and break, Voyager would no longer be able to point its antenna back at Earth to send data and receive commands. The temperature of the spacecraft is maintained either through the use of heaters or by taking advantage of excess heat from other onboard instruments and systems.

It has taken the team several days to assess the current situation primarily because of Voyager 2's distance from Earth — about 11.5 billion miles (18.5 billion kilometers). Communications traveling at the speed of light take about 17 hours to reach the spacecraft, and it takes another 17 hours for a response from the spacecraft to return to Earth. As a result, mission engineers have to wait about 34 hours to find out if their commands have had the desired effect on the spacecraft.

The Voyager spacecraft were built by JPL, which continues to operate both. JPL is a division of Caltech in Pasadena. The Voyager missions are a part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. For more information about the Voyager spacecraft, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/voyager

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov

Radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG): https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/spacecraft/instruments/rtg/

Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Tony Greicius/JPL/Calla Cofield.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

SpaceX - Starlink 3 launch success

SpaceX - Starlink Mission patch.

Jan, 29, 2020

SpaceX Starlink launch by Falcon 9 rocket

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the fourth batch of 60 Starlink satellites (Starlink-3) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on 29 January 2020, at 14:06 UTC (09:06 EST).

SpaceX Starlink launch & Falcon 9 first stage landing, 29 January 2020

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage (Block 5 B1051) landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Falcon 9’s first stage for this mission previously launched Crew Dragon on its first demonstration mission in March 2019 and the RADARSAT Constellation Mission in June 2019.

SpaceX Starlink Satellite Constellation

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the fourth batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 3.

Related articles:

SpaceX - SpaceX Starlink 2 launch Success
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/01/spacex-spacex-starlink-2-launch-success.html

SpaceX Starlink launched
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/11/spacex-starlink-launched.html

Panic wind among astronomers
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/05/panic-wind-among-astronomers.html

SpaceX - STARLINK Mission Success
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/05/spacex-starlink-mission-success.html

For more information about SpaceX, visit: http://www.spacex.com/

Images, Video, Text, Credits: SpaceX/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

CHEOPS telescope cover is open

CHEOPS - CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite logo.

Jan. 29, 2020

The opening of the lid for the space telescope went smoothly on Wednesday morning, said the universities of Bern and Geneva.

Illustration of CHEOPS by the European Space Agency (ESA)

A decisive moment for the CHEOPS space telescope: the opening of its cover took place as planned on Wednesday at 07:38. The first images can now be taken and the accuracy of CHEOPS verified in the coming weeks.

The order to open the CHEOPS cover was issued from the Mission Operation Center (MOC) at the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aerospacial (INTA) near Madrid in Spain, said the universities of Bern and Geneva in a statement. Wednesday. "Thanks to the sensor measurements, we knew in a few minutes that everything had gone as planned," explained Bernese scientist Willy Benz.

Images published within one to two weeks

With the successful opening of the lid, a new series of activities begins. "Over the next two months, many stars with and without planets will be targeted to control the accuracy of CHEOPS measurements under different conditions," said Willy Benz.

These images will not seem spectacular to an inexperienced eye. "Cheops was not designed to take beautiful pictures, but to measure the light intensity of stars with the greatest precision," said the Bernese to Keystone-ATS. The goal of the mission is to characterize the properties of exoplanets.

Tweet from University of Bern

So by comparing with measurements made of other celestial bodies, researchers can determine the density and therefore the type of exoplanet, that is to say if it is a planet made of rock, gas , ice or ocean.

"The raw CHEOPS data is processed in what is called the data reduction pipeline," says David Ehrenreich, mission scientist at the University of Geneva. CHEOPS has already delivered hundreds of images which were completely black since the cover was still closed, but which made it possible to calibrate the instrument.

David Ehrenreich explains: “It will take time to fully exploit the capabilities of CHEOPS and ground segmentation. However, we expect to be able to analyze and publish the first images within one to two weeks. ”

100 billion planets

CHEOPS (abbreviation of CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) is a project of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, the universities of Bern and Geneva in mind. CHEOPS will compose "a family photo of exoplanets" while observing about 500.

CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite or CHEOPS

Today, it is estimated that there are at least as many planets as stars in the galaxy, or about 100 billion. More than 4000 exoplanets - orbiting a star other than the Sun - had been detected since the discovery of the first, 51 Pegasi b, 24 years ago by the 2019 Nobel Prize winners Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz of the University of Geneva.

Related article:

The opening of the CHEOPS lid postponed
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-opening-of-cheops-lid-postponed.html

Related links:

CHEOPS Mission Home Page: https://cheops.unibe.ch/

ESA CHEOPS: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cheops

Image (mentioned), Animation, Text, Credits: ATS/ESA/UNIBE/Twitter/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch