There is always the hunt to discover new and exciting objects beyond our earthly realm. Hence the search and research are always on. Now NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite – TESS – is scheduled to launch on April 16 to find thousands of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. In the last ten years, NASA has not only discovered but also thoroughly studied thousands of these planets – including the TRAPPIST-1 system, which might have the ingredients to support life. Therefore with these constant expeditions, TESS is expected to add thousands of more planets to this growing list of exoplanets during its two-year mission, searching into the nearest and brightest stars of the galaxy to see if there are worlds hiding underneath.
From molten lava and frigid, icy planets to bizarre places that rain rubies and sapphires and water-covered worlds, the possibilities of new worlds for the planet-hunter to discover are limitless. Every time something new comes up, leaving us in awe. All planets are unique in their own way; hence to get a glimpse of this ever-surprising solar system, it’s time to join the NASA scientists.
A mission has been scheduled to detect planets outside of our solar system, therefore, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is to be launched no earlier than 6:32 p.m. EDT Monday, April 16. But to throw more insight into it and engage the whole world in this mission, prelaunch mission coverage will begin on NASA Television and the agency’s website Sunday, April 15, with three live briefings.
TESS is NASA’s next step in searching for planets outside our solar system or the exoplanets, including those that could support life. No doubt this is a huge step as it requires immense hard work and efficiency; even the technologies have to be modified from time to time. The mission is expected to add thousands of new planet candidates and vastly increase the current number of known exoplanets. It is expected that TESS will find the note-worthy exoplanets orbiting relatively nearby stars, giving future researchers new targets to accomplish for more comprehensive follow-up studies, including the potential to assess their capacity to harbor life.
A detailed schedule of NASA TV has been published on the NASA website. The NASA TV coverage will provide a detailed discussion of the launch prior to the most awaited venture in space.
The NASA TV coverage will start with the overview and discussion of TESS on Sunday, 11th April.
Apart from NASA astronauts, a group of very reputed and expert scientists and astronauts worldwide will join the meeting at 11 a.m. to talk about NASA Social Mission Overview. NASA has published the list of the discussions on their website, which can be found here.
On Monday, April 16, TESS will be launched in search of exoplanets. Prior to it, there will be a program called,
NASA EDGE: TESS – this will be a half-hour live show that will discuss the TESS spacecraft, the science of searching for planets outside our solar system, and the launch from Cape Canaveral.
From 6 p.m. the launch coverage will begin. Ultimately, at 6:32 p.m. TESS will be launched. TESS will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
