NASA will launch a planet-hunting spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket this week. The launch was originally scheduled for Monday at 6:32 p.m., but was postponed to conduct additional GNC analysis. Teams are now working towards a targeted launch of Wednesday, April 18.
Today, @NASA_TESS, our planet-hunting spacecraft, will launch to begin our latest mission to search for planets outside of our solar system, known as exoplanets: https://t.co/hhVlBWjlU1 pic.twitter.com/rnjZzz4Zqg
— NASA (@NASA) April 16, 2018
According to space.com, shortly after liftoff SpaceX will try to land the first stage of the two-stage Falcon 9 on a robotic ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Once in space, TESS will be looking for exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) orbiting the brightest stars in Earth's sky.
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It will reportedly monitor at least 200,000 stars for signs of exoplanets ranging from Earth-sized rocky worlds to huge gas giant planets.
MIT anticipates Tess will discover thousands of exoplanets of all sizes around a variety of star types.
