A Decade-Long Journey to TESS
Dr. George Ricker, Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Detector Laboratory, MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research

presentation 2:00-2:30pm, followed by 10 minute Q&A

Dr. Ricker will describe the development program at MIT that led to the successful proposal for TESS (The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite).  A long-term goal of TESS and follow-on missions is to find Earth-like planets that are the right distance from their planets’ stars to be within the habitable zone where conditions might be suitable for the existence of life.