TESS

Launch Success

Liftoff Time (GMT)

22:51:00

Wednesday April 18, 2018

Watch Replay

Official Livestream

Mission Details

Read Article

Launch Notes

Last flight of a new Falcon 9 Block 4 first stage.

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

Wiki

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest stars in the sky. In a two-year survey of the solar neighborhood, TESS will monitor more than 200,000 stars for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. This first-ever space-borne all-sky transit survey will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, around a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances. No ground-based survey can achieve this feat. TESS used a lunar gravity assist to get into it's final orbit, and is in a 2:1 resonant orbit with the moon. It's orbit is expected to stay stable for 10 years.

Highly Elliptical Orbit

1 Payload

362 kilograms

Rocket

Retired
Falcon 9 Block 4

Active 2017 to 2018

SpaceX logo

Agency

SpaceX

Price

$62.00 million

Rocket

Diameter: 3.7m

Height: 70m

Payload to Orbit

LEO: 22,800 kg

GTO: 8,300 kg

Liftoff Thrust

6,804 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 5.2m

Height: 13m

Stages

2

Launch Site

SLC-40

Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Fastest Turnaround

2 days 8 hours

Stats

Falcon 9


54th

Mission

7th

Mission of 2018

SpaceX


60th

Mission

8th

Mission of 2018

2018


38th

Orbital launch attempt