CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS)

Category: Space Science | Astronomy | International Cooperation

UPSC Notes

CHEOPS stands for CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite. It is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission designed to study exoplanets already known to orbit bright stars.

Rather than primarily searching for new planets, CHEOPS measures the sizes of known exoplanets with high precision. When combined with independently determined planetary masses, these measurements help scientists calculate bulk density and infer possible internal composition.

Key Pointers

  • Full form: CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite.

  • Agency: European Space Agency (ESA).

  • International partnership: ESA and Switzerland, with contributions from other European states.

  • Launch date: 18 December 2019.

  • Launch vehicle: Soyuz-Fregat.

  • Orbit: Approximately 700 km, in a Sun-synchronous dusk–dawn orbit.

  • Primary technique: Transit photometry.

  • Main objective: Measure the sizes of known exoplanets, particularly in the super-Earth to Neptune range.

  • Scientific value: Planetary radius combined with mass helps estimate density and investigate planetary structure.

ESA identifies CHEOPS as the first space mission dedicated to characterising known exoplanets around bright, nearby stars.

UPSC focus: Exoplanets, transit method, space telescopes and international scientific missions.