Science & Exploration Call for media: Meet Europe’s exoplanet satellite Cheops 14/05/2018 1176 views 22 likes

*Please note this event has been postponed until October. Revised details will be provided nearer the time*

Media are invited to join experts of the Characterising Exoplanets Satellite, Cheops, at Airbus Defence and Space in Madrid, Spain, for a unique opportunity to visit the spacecraft in the clean room on 22 May. Cheops will make observations of exoplanet-hosting stars to measure small changes in their brightness due to the transit of a planet across the star's disc. The information will help to reveal the size of planets circling other stars, especially those in the Earth-to-Neptune mass range – a first step to characterising planets outside our Solar System.

Artist impression of Cheops The science instrument that will make these measurements recently arrived at Airbus in Madrid, following testing at the University of Bern in Switzerland, for integration with the spacecraft platform. This includes being combined with the solar panels, thrusters, radio transmitters and reaction wheels needed for power, propulsion, communications and attitude control, respectively. The completed satellite is currently undergoing essential tests and checks at Airbus as part of launch preparations. It will only be there for a few weeks before moving on for final thermal, vibration and acoustic testing in various locations across Europe. Final checks will be conducted when it returns in October, and then it will be packed and prepared for shipment to Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Cheops, which is implemented as a partnership between ESA and Switzerland, is on track to be ready for launch by the end of the year. This event offers one of the first – and last – opportunities for media to view the complete satellite before its launch.

Programme (All times CEST) 10:30 Arrival to Antares Room at Airbus 11:00 Welcome by José Guillamón, Head of Site and Airbus Space Systems in Spain 11:05 Nicola Rando, Cheops project manager, ESA

Introduction to Cheops and status update 11:15 Andrés Borges, Cheops Programme Manager at Airbus

Insights from industry and future steps towards launch and in-orbit commissioning 11:25 Ignasi Ribas, Cheops science team, Institut de Ciències de l’Espai & Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Barcelona

Cheops science and contribution to exoplanet studies 11:35 Eva María Vega Carrasco, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespecial, Madrid

Mission operations 11:45 Q&A 12:00 onwards

Photo and video opportunity in the clean room to view Cheops. Accreditation Media can register by writing to espacio@airbus.com and will be asked to complete a registration form. Photo and video cameras are also to be registered. Location

Airbus (Antares Room)

Avenida de Aragón 404

28022 Madrid More about Cheops: http://sci.esa.int/cheops/ For further information, please contact:

ESA Media Relations Office

Email: media@esa.int

Tel: +33 1 53 69 72 99 Francisco Lechón

Tel: +34 630 196 993

Email: Francisco.Lechon@airbus.com Beatriz Arias

ESAC communication Office/Media Relations

Tel: +34 918131359

Email: comunicacionesac@esa.int