TESS Observatory Undergoing Thermal Vacuum Testing

Monday, November 27, 2017

The integration of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is complete.  The satellite is now a fully functioning Observatory and it is undergoing final testing in preparation for its launch in March 2017.  Shown here is the integrated spacecraft; the four wide-field cameras, built at MIT, are visible at the top.  TESS is inside a thermal vacuum chamber at Orbital ATK where it will be tested for the next month before it is shipped to the launch site at Cape Canaveral in February.