Launch of the CHEOPS space telescope with Portuguese participation

Tomorrow, December 18, at 8:54 a.m. (mainland Portugal time), the CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite) space telescope is scheduled to be launched. This new ESA mission includes Portuguese participation, namely from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA). The IA will broadcast the CHEOPS launch live on its YouTube channel between 8:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

The telescope will be launched into Earth orbit on a Russian Soyuz rocket from the ESA launch base in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch broadcast will also feature contributions from IA researchers José Afonso, Sérgio Sousa (member of the CHEOPS scientific team), and Manuel Abreu. Starting at 11:15 a.m., researcher Susana Barros, who is also part of the mission's scientific team, will answer questions from the public online via the broadcast chat.

The telescope will be positioned in Earth orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers, and its function will be to observe bright stars hosting exoplanets with sizes ranging from Earth to Neptune.

The CHEOPS consortium is led by Switzerland and ESA, with the participation of 11 European countries. In Portugal, scientific participation is led by IA.