TESS Space Telescope | Vibepedia

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a space telescope launched by NASA in 2018 to search for exoplanets using the transit method, covering an area 400 times larger than the Kepler mission. With a highly elliptical 13.70-day orbit around the Earth, TESS has been designed to detect thousands of exoplanets, with a primary mission objective to survey the brightest stars near the Sun. As of 2026, TESS has identified 7,821 candidate exoplanets, with 720 confirmed, making it a crucial component in the ongoing search for life beyond our solar system. The mission has been extended, allowing scientists to continue searching its data for more planets and acquiring additional data. TESS has been built on the legacy of the [[kepler-space-telescope|Kepler Space Telescope]], and its discoveries have significant implications for our understanding of the universe, particularly in the context of the [[search-for-extraterrestrial-intelligence|Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence]] (SETI). With its advanced technology and strategic orbit, TESS is poised to make further groundbreaking discoveries, shedding light on the mysteries of the cosmos and our place within it. The TESS mission has also been supported by [[nasa|NASA]] and has collaborated with other space agencies, such as the [[european-space-agency|European Space Agency]] (ESA), to advance our knowledge of exoplanets and the search for life beyond Earth.