NASA awards Launch Services Contract for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

.

24/7 Space News

.

NASA awards Launch Services Contract for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 18, 2014

File image.

NASA has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. TESS will launch aboard a Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle, with liftoff targeted for August 2017 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The total cost for NASA to launch TESS is approximately $87 million, which includes the launch service, spacecraft processing, payload integration, tracking, data and telemetry, and other launch support requirements.

TESS's science goal is to detect transiting exoplanets orbiting nearby bright stars. During a three-year funded science mission, TESS will sample hundreds of thousands of stars in order to detect a large sample of exoplanets, with an emphasis on discovering Earth- and super-Earth-sized planets in the solar neighborhood.

The Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is responsible for management and oversight of the Falcon 9 v1.1 launch services for TESS.

The TESS Mission is led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with oversight by the Explorers Program at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

.

Related Links
NASA's Launch Services Program
Launch Pad at Space-Travel.com

Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks

US Space Launcher to Get 60 Russian Engines in $1Bln Deal
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 18, 2014
Russian design bureau Energomash has signed a contract with the US-based Orbital Sciences Corporation for the delivery of 60 RD-181 rocket engines to be used to power the Antares rocket's first stage, Russia's Izvestiya newspaper reported Wednesday. "We have committed to deliver a total of 60 engines. Currently, there is a firm contract for 20 engines which we have begun moving forward wit ... read more

'Shooting the Moon' with Satellite Laser Ranging

Moon Express testing compact lunar lander at Kennedy

UK Plans to Drill Into Moon, Explore Feasibility of Manned Base

Carnegie Mellon Unveils Lunar Rover "Andy"

Australian university students aim to generate first 'breathable' air on Mars

Opportunity drives on in no-flash mode

Flying over Becquerel

New idea for transporting spacecraft could ease trip to Mars

XCOR Announces Further Progress on XCOR Lynx Spacecraft

NASA releases video of Orion spacecraft re-entry from astronaut's perspective

Russia, US to Cooperate on Orion Spacecraft Modernization

NASA Voyager: 'Tsunami Wave' Still Flies Through Interstellar Space

China's Long March puts satellite in orbit on 200th launch

Countdown to China's new space programs begins

China develops new rocket for manned moon mission: media

Service module of China's returned lunar orbiter reaches L2 point

NASA, SpaceX Update Launch of Fifth SpaceX Resupply Mission to ISS

Politics no problem, say US and Russian spacefarers

Bright lights: big cities at night

ISS Experiment May Hold Key to Alzheimer's Cause

SpaceX postpones launch after rocket 'issues'

SES: Astra 2G ready for Dec 28 Proton launch

US Space Launcher to Get 60 Russian Engines in $1Bln Deal

State Spaceports Receive Federal Funding

Kepler Proves It Can Still Find Planets

NASA's Kepler Reborn, Makes First Exoplanet Find of New Mission

Super-Earth spotted by ground-based telescope, a first

Astronomers spot Pluto-size objects swarming about young sun

NASA just emailed the space station a new socket wrench

Inmarsat-2 F2 satellite retired after more than 23.5 years of GEO operations

Penn Research Outlines Basic Rules for Construction With a Type of Origami

Danish radars for new British offshore patrol boats

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.