Space telescope set to study planets orbiting other stars

CHEOPS (Characterising Exoplanets Satellite), which is classed as a low-cost mission with a budget of €50m (£40m) and is due to launch in 2017, is designed to act as the next stage in exoplanet research from terrestrial telescopes.

It will look at targets chosen through ground-based research that can establish whether stars have orbiting planets but cannot determine much information about them.

In one set of studies focusing on Earth-sized planets, CHEOPS will determine whether these planets have atmospheres. In another set focusing stars on larger hot planets, it will look for possible accompanying smaller planets that previous observations could not see.

The satellite is designed specifically to look at star systems relatively close to our solar system, selecting targets that could then be studied further by the next generation of telescopes.

These include enormous ground-based observatories such as the 39m European Extremely Large Telescope, scheduled to start operations early next decade, and the James Webb Space Telescope, set for launch in 2018.