CHEOPS, which stands for CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite, is a European Space Agency mission that will study the formation of exoplanets - planets that orbit stars other than the Sun.

Unlike previous exoplanet hunting satellites, CHEOPS is not tasked with discovering new exoplanets, but will instead focus on exoplanets already discovered in order to unlock key questions about how exoplanets form.

CHEOPS will also study the current characteristics of known exoplanets.

Over the course of its three and a half year mission, 80% of CHEOPS's time will be dedicated to observing known exoplanets that were detected and confirmed using the radial-velocity method of discovery.

Radial-velocity detection of exoplanets means they were not directly observed but rather found through the gravitational tugs and wobbles they impart on their parent stars.

Just as the Moon tugs and pulls at Earth's oceans - creating the tides - so do exoplanets tug at their parent stars.

These extremely small tugs and wobbles are detectable with current technology.

During observations of these exo solar systems, CHEOPS may very well discover other exoplanets currently unknown in those systems.

The remaining 20% of the satellite's time will be devoted to scientific community research and observation proposals. Some proposals already excepted include observations of large, hot Jupiters and systems that contain more than one exoplanet.

CHEOPS will also perform an experimental search for exocomets around the star 5 Vulpeculae.

Unlike its two predecessors - Kepler and TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) - CHEOPS will stay in Earth orbit, circling our planet in a Sun Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of 700 km.

Meet Roscosmos’s 21st-century upgrade of the Soyuz rocket: the Soyuz 2.1b.

One of the most significant advancements in this variant is the completely digital flight control system, a major technological leap for a rocket family originally designed in the 1960s.

Specs

Height: 46.3 m (152 ft)

Diameter: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Mass: 312,000 kg (688,000 lb)

Stages: 2 or 3

The digital flight control system enhances launch precision and target accuracy, making the Soyuz 2.1b more reliable for a wide range of missions.

Additionally, this variant features an upgraded Blok-I second-stage engine, the RD-0124, which provides improved performance and efficiency over earlier models.

The Soyuz 2.1b was the second of three Soyuz 2 variants to enter service, making its debut launch on December 27, 2006.

Two Names, Two Flags

This rocket flies under two different names, depending on the launch operator:

- Soyuz 2.1b: When launching under Roscosmos from Baikonur or Plesetsk.

- Soyuz ST-B: When sold to Arianespace for European launches. This version includes European modifications, such as a European payload adapter and a European flight termination system.

Image: ESA

The Guiana Space Center (French: Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG)) is a French and European spaceport located near Kourou in French Guiana near the northern tip of South America. The facility has been operational since 1968 and host launches for the European Space Agency (ESA), the French National Centre for Space Studies, and commercial companies Arianespace and Azercosmos.

A total of 9 different rocket types have launched from the Guiana Space Centre, including three active rockets and six retired vehicles.

The current rocket fleet at CSG is comprised of the Ariane 5 for heavy payloads, the Russian-provided Soyuz for medium-mass payloads, and Vega for smaller mass payloads.

The Ariane 6, currently under development, will launch from CSG beginning in the early 2020s.