The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Swiss exoplanet telescope cleared for orbit

CHEOPS
The satellite will be launched anytime between October 15 and November 14. ESA/S. Corvaja

A space telescope developed by Swiss researchers to observe distant planets has passed all tests and is ready to be launched into orbit end of the year.

The telescope will travel on board the satellite CHEOPSExternal link (CHaracterizing ExOPlanets Satellite) as part of joint mission with the European Space agency. It passed the final last test carried out by Arianspace, said the university on Monday. The launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter aboard a Soyuz rocket on the Kourou launch pad in French Guiana.

“After six years of intensive work, we are delighted to see the time of departure approaching, even if take-off is still a delicate and stressful time,” said Willy Benz, head of the CHEOPS mission at the University of Bern.

Swiss firms Ruag Space and Thales Alenia also contributed to the project. CHEOPS will be placed in orbit 700 km from Earth. However, its main mission is not to discover new exoplanets. Instead the satellite will observe and characterise the planets of some 500 particularly bright stars for at least three years.

The distant planets’ atmosphere and the relationship between their mass and shape will be analysed to determine whether they are composed of rock, ice or gas. 

More
CHEOPS

More

A Swiss satellite in space

This content was published on The University of Bern collaborated with the European Space Agency to create a new satellite that will be off to discover new planets in 2019.

Read more: A Swiss satellite in space



Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Three inmates attempt to escape from Sion prison

More

Prison escape foiled by Swiss police

This content was published on Three inmates attempted to escape from Sion prison on Sunday morning. Their capture required a major police operation.

Read more: Prison escape foiled by Swiss police
The start of the holiday season means long traffic jams on the Gotthard

More

Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

This content was published on The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.

Read more: Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season
Study: Rhine could become up to 4.2 degrees warmer by 2100

More

Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn

This content was published on The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.

Read more: Rhine could warm by 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
'Leopard 1 A5' combat tanks in Germany.

More

Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme

This content was published on The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.

Read more: Switzerland eyes joining EU rearmament programme

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR