TESS is Launching Today (4/18/18)

Flyn

Go ahead. I'll catch up.
Moderator
TCG Premium
Mar 1, 2004
68,052
27,984
Selling homes on the Gulf Coast of Florida
TESS, Transit Exoplanet Survey Satellite, will be launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster this evening at around 6:51 pm Eastern time.

TESS's job is to scan the skies for planets, especially around the stars that are close (relatively) to us. It should find hundreds or thousands of previously undiscovered planets some of which may be colonizable in the future.

Most of the planets discovered to date have been the result on one satellite, the Kepler mission. Its fuel is deteriorating and it will soon cease to function. The new space telescope, TESS, will be able to view the entire sky rather than one small section like Kepler did. It will also be able to view much closer stars than Kepler could handle. Scientists are planning on looking for earthlike planets around close stars. I would not be surprised to see thousands of planets discovered once TESS is up and running.

Our grandchildren/great grandchildren may see the human race expand outside the solar system and TESS may be a big part of mapping the heavens in advance of that expansion. Exciting stuff.

More info here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/scienc...launches-on-a-falcon-9-rocket-into-deep-orbit
 

nytebyte

Not Politically Correct
Mar 2, 2004
13,627
20,955
Pretty cool, but at the rate our space technology is progressing, it could be a VERY long time before man is able to go anywhere beyond our solar system.

Satellites and unmanned probes are great, but how about we send some humans out there? Back in the 60's we had a better space program than we do now. Back then, we went places. Now all we go to is the International Space Station sitting in orbit around Earth.

I really would like to see a manned mission to Mars before I die, but as the years pass, it seems less and less likely that will ever happen.
 
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