operational Optical · United States
TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)
NASA · operator profile
NASA's exoplanet-hunting survey satellite, watching for the tiny brightness dips caused by planets crossing in front of their host stars across nearly the entire sky.
Facts
Launch date
18 April 2018
Primary mirror
Four wide-field cameras, no single primary mirror
Location
Highly elliptical Earth orbit (13.7-day period)
Timeline
Launched 18 April 2018; completed its primary two-year all-sky survey in 2020 and remains in extended operations, continuing to find transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars.
Frequently asked about TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)
- Who operates TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)?
- TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is operated by NASA.
- Is TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) operational?
- Yes, TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is currently operational.
- Where does TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) operate from?
- TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) operates from Highly elliptical Earth orbit (13.7-day period), observing primarily in the optical range.