The search for alien worlds and perhaps alien life will take another step outward this week when TESS, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, is launched into orbit around the Earth. TESS will spend at least two years scrutinizing the entire sky for exoplanets — planets around other stars — within about 300 light years from here. SpaceX, whose rocket will carry TESS into space, said on Twitter that additional guidance and navigation work was needed before the spacecraft could be launched. NASA said that TESS is in “excellent health, and remains ready for launch.”Why is the TESS mission important? Advertisement Continue reading the main storyTESS is sponsored by NASA, as part of its small Astrophysics Explorer missions.

Source: New York Times April 16, 2018 16:54 UTC