18.12.2019 – After being postponed for one day, Cheops is scheduled for liftoff at 08:54 GMT on a Soyuz -Fregat rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
ESA’s first mission dedicated to investigating planets outside our solar system, Cheops (Characterising ExOPlanet Satellite) will study known exoplanets that are orbiting bright stars. The aim is to obtain detailed information about these planets to find out more about their composition and internal structure.
The mission is a partnership between ESA and Switzerland with additional contributions from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.