High-precision photometer developed by ETH Zurich for the ESA CHEOPS exoplanet characterization mission, launched in 2019.
CHEOPS Photometer
High-precision photometer developed by ETH Zurich for the ESA CHEOPS exoplanet characterization mission, launched in 2019.
Description
ETH Zurich designed and built the photometer for ESA CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite), launched in December 2019. The instrument achieves photometric precision of ~20 parts per million, enabling characterization of known exoplanets by measuring their radius through transit observations. ETH Zurich serves as the mission Data Center and contributes to data analysis and mission science.
Specifications
| Type | Space photometer |
|---|---|
| Host mission | ESA CHEOPS |
| Launch | December 18, 2019 |
| Launch vehicle | Soyuz-Fregat |
| Orbit | LEO, SSO ~700 km |
| Precision | ~20 ppm photometric |
| Mission | Exoplanet characterization |