{"id":4412,"date":"2013-09-11T15:05:02","date_gmt":"2013-09-11T15:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=4412"},"modified":"2013-09-11T15:05:02","modified_gmt":"2013-09-11T15:05:02","slug":"surrey-satellite-to-design-exoplanet-satellite-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=4412","title":{"rendered":"Surrey Satellite to design exoplanet satellite mission"},"content":{"rendered":"

An announcement from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL)<\/a>:<\/p>\n

ESA selects SSTL to design Exoplanet satellite mission<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the competitive design phase of CHEOPS science satellite, which will improve mankind\u2019s understanding of exoplanets – planets orbiting distant stars outside our solar system. The contractor selection for the implementation phase is planned by mid-2014 and the launch is scheduled late 2017.<\/p>\n

The CHaracterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS)<\/a> will finely characterise known exoplanets and their parent stars with an unprecedented accuracy. The satellite will measure the orbit and radius of those exoplanets, enabling the scientists to assess their potential habitability. The mission will also act as a \u201cscout\u201d performing preliminary observations on targets for the future European Extremely Large Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope that will be capable of more detailed analysis.<\/p>\n

CHEOPS was selected from 25 missions proposed in response to ESA Call for Small Missions in 2012, which was targeting innovative small science missions that offer high value at low cost. CHEOPS is jointly developed by ESA and a consortium of Member States led by Switzerland: The Swiss-built instrument using a Ritchey\u2013Chr\u00e9tien optical telescope will observe the stars and their orbiting planets, while ESA is responsible for the provision of the satellite platform and the launch.<\/p>\n

Over the next 10 months SSTL will design the satellite platform, which will host the telescope payload. To provide the mission within a short schedule and at low cost, ESA asked that any solution be based on an existing, flight-proven, satellite platform. SSTL\u2019s solution is based on a variant of the highly successful SSTL-150 platform, which has seen recent service in Canada\u2019s Sapphire space surveillance mission and the 5-satellite RapidEye Earth observation constellation.<\/p>\n

In awarding the contract to SSTL, Frederic Safa, Head of Future Missions Office in ESA\u2019s Science and Robotic Exploration Directorate stated: \u201cWe chose SSTL for this study for a combination of reasons such as their proven ability to build reliable low-cost missions and their past experience with satellites carrying high-performance optical telescopes.\u201d<\/p>\n

SSTL\u2019s Head of Science, Doug Liddle, commented: \u201cWe are delighted that ESA selected SSTL to design the CHEOPS mission. We will draw on our experience to design a low cost, but high value solution that will demonstrate that ambitious science missions can be launched both quickly and economically.\u201d<\/p>\n

CHEOPS is envisaged as the first in a series of missions in the ESA Science Programme that will utilise small satellites for low cost and rapid development, in order to offer greater flexibility in response to new ideas from the scientific community and complement to the larger missions of ESA\u2019s Science Programme.<\/p>\n

About SSTL<\/strong>
\nSurrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is the world’s leading small satellite company, delivering operational space missions for a range of applications including Earth observation, science and communications. The Company designs, manufactures and operates high performance satellites and ground systems for a fraction of the price normally associated with space missions, with 580 staff working on turnkey satellite platforms, space-proven satellite subsystems and optical instruments.<\/p>\n

Since 1981 SSTL has built and launched 41 satellites \u2013 as well as providing training and development programmes, consultancy services, and mission studies for ESA, NASA, international governments and commercial customers, with its innovative approach that is changing the economics of space.<\/p>\n

In 2008 the Company set up a US subsidiary, Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC (SST-US) with facilities in Denver, Colorado to address the United States market and its customers for the provision of small satellite solutions, applications and services. www.sst-us.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An announcement from Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL): ESA selects SSTL to design Exoplanet satellite mission Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the competitive design phase of CHEOPS science satellite, which will improve mankind\u2019s understanding of exoplanets – planets orbiting distant stars outside our solar system. … Continue reading Surrey Satellite to design exoplanet satellite mission<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,46,74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-astronomy","category-exoplanets","category-space-business"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-19a","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16646,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16646","url_meta":{"origin":4412,"position":0},"title":"ESA Cheops exoplanet space telescope to carry plaques engraved with children’s artwork","author":"TopSpacer","date":"August 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The European Space Agency (ESA) Artwork unveiled on exoplanet satellite\u00a0 27 August 2018:\u00a0Two plaques etched with thousands of miniaturised drawings made by children have been unveiled in a dedicated ceremony held today in Switzerland. 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