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CHEOPS: A MISSION TO CHARACTERISE KNOWN EXOPLANETS

Cheops is the shortened name for ESA's CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite mission.

It is the first mission dedicated to studying bright, nearby stars that are already known to host exoplanets.

It will make high-precision observations of the planet's size as it passes in front of its host star.

It will focus on planets in the super-Earth to Neptune size range, with its data enabling the bulk density of the planets to be derived. 

Cheops is the first small, or S-class, mission in ESA’s science programme.

It is a partnership between ESA and Switzerland, with a dedicated Consortium led by the University of Bern, and with important contributions from 10 other ESA Member States.

The first planet studied by Cheops was WASP-189b - an ultra hot Jupiter planet orbiting its star every three days.

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