News Archive / Tagged: TESS

• Kepler data reveals Earth-like planet in star’s habitable zone

  Laurel KornfeldApril 21st, 2020

  Scientists who took a second look at data returned by NASA’s Kepler space telescope have discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star.

• Challenges and triumphs mark TESS’ first year on orbit

  Joe LatrellJuly 30th, 2019

  NASA’S Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) recently celebrated one year of operational status with the discovery of one of the smallest exoplanets found to date. For those working on the project, its discoveries are just a small part of the mission's success.

• Last Kepler images capture numerous planetary systems

  Laurel KornfeldFebruary 10th, 2019

  Numerous planetary systems are visible in the final images taken by NASA's Kepler telescope on Sept. 25, 2018, just before it ran out of fuel.

• In first six months, TESS discovers three exoplanets and more

  Laurel KornfeldJanuary 12th, 2019

  During the first six months of its two-year mission, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered three confirmed planets and many planet candidates while also observing other astronomical phenomena such as supernovae, asteroids, comets, and eclipsing binary stars.

• NASA’s planet-hunting TESS mission shares ‘1st-light’ image

  Jim SharkeySeptember 23rd, 2018

  Scientists with NASA's planet-hunting Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission recently released images from the spacecraft's first science orbit. The mission's "first light" image was a detailed picture of the southern sky taken with all four of the spacecraft's wide-field cameras.

• TESS primed and ready to discover distant worlds

  Jason RhianAugust 2nd, 2018

  NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has successfully reached its desired orbit and has begun science operations. The spacecraft was constructed by Northrop Grumman, who will operate the vehicle. This milestone sets the spacecraft on a path to continue the search for alien worlds.

• Test photo taken as TESS performs lunar flyby

  Joe LatrellMay 22nd, 2018

  NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) took an image using one of the four cameras on board the spacecraft. The image is a two-second exposure centered on the Centaurus constellation in the southern sky.

• Gallery: TESS mission ascends atop SpaceX Falcon 9

  Michael ColeApril 19th, 2018

  KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Liftoff of NASA's TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, took place at 6:51 p.m. EDT (22:51 GMT) April 18, 2018. SpaceFlight Insider's Visual Team covered the flight from multiple angles with still and video cameras and captured the mission's start in extreme detail.

• NASA’s planet-hunting TESS launched by SpaceX Falcon 9

  Derek RichardsonApril 18th, 2018

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — On a mission to search for planets outside of the Solar System, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) was launched into space atop a Falcon 9 rocket on the first leg of the spacecraft's multi-month journey to its final orbit high above Earth.

• Launch of exoplanet-hunting TESS satellite delayed to Wednesday

  Derek RichardsonApril 16th, 2018

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The launch of NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Spacecraft (TESS) has been postponed by at least 48 hours, according to SpaceX. The satellite had been scheduled to launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket at 6:32 p.m. EDT (22:23 GMT) April 16, 2018.

• Exoplanet-hunting TESS spacecraft ready for launch

  Michael ColeApril 15th, 2018

  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). If everything goes according to plan, the observatory will conduct a two-year mission to survey more than 85 percent of the sky, searching for exoplanets around bright stars in the 300-light-year distance range.

• Scientists use Kepler telescope to study supernovae

  Laurel KornfeldApril 2nd, 2018

  NASA's Kepler space telescope was designed to discover exoplanets, but throughout its initial and extended missions, scientists have used its precision and ability to continuously collect data to study supernovae, the explosions produced by dying massive stars.

• TESS scientist explains what the Goldilocks orbit is

  Jim SiegelFebruary 21st, 2018

  KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- NASA is planning on launching the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission about mid-April aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. TESS is planned to operate from a "sweet spot" so to speak, but Goldilocks zones and Goldilocks orbits aren't the same. 

• Will NASA’s TESS spacecraft revolutionize exoplanet hunting?

  Tomasz NowakowskiJanuary 29th, 2015

  NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS ), planned to be launched in August 2017 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, is designed to discover thousands of exoplanets. Led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), TESS will focus on stars 30-100 times brighter than those surveyed by […]

• SpaceX secures launch contract for Transitioning Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

  Josh TallisDecember 17th, 2014

  NASA announced on Tuesday, Dec. 16 that Hawthorne, California-based Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX ) would provide launch services for the space agency’s upcoming exoplanet detection satellite. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS ) mission is slated for liftoff aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket in August of 2017.