Question 1

What rocket is launching TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)?

Accepted Answer

TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is launching on the Falcon 9 Block 5.

Question 2

Who is launching TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)?

Accepted Answer

TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is being launched by SpaceX, a commercial launch provider founded in 2002.

Question 3

Where is TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) launching from?

Accepted Answer

TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) heading to?

Accepted Answer

TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is heading to High Earth Orbit (HEO).

Question 5

Is the Falcon 9 Block 5 reusable?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Falcon 9 Block 5 is designed to be reused, with boosters that can fly multiple missions.

Question 6

How many times has the Falcon 9 Block 5 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Falcon 9 Block 5 has launched 612 times to date, with 610 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission?

Accepted Answer

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a NASA space telescope, designed to search for exoplanets using the transit method. TESS will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants, orbiting a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances. The principal goal of the TESS mission is to detect small planets with bright host stars in the solar neighborhood, so that detailed characterizations of the planets and their atmospheres can be performed.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite)

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Space Launch Complex 40

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions