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For years, the data from the Kepler Space Observatory have been crucial for the exploration of exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system), using Kepler, scientists have been able to discover several thousand new exoplanets. This was accomplished by measuring the periodic dips in the brightness of stars as planets pass in front of them. The way this technology works is that a new discovery is made if there is an irregularity in the size of the planet.

Kepler, however, is nearing the end of its mission as it begins to run out of fuel. As a result, scientists have turned to a new era of space exploration, this time, with the help of non-government funded technologies. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s $337 million Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), took off from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Wednesday at 6:51 p.m. EDT. 

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TESS will use the same method of finding stars as Kepler does, however instead of looking at a fixed spot in the sky, it will be able to do an “all-sky” survey. Meaning that the point of observation will be widened with this wider range. TESS will focus in particular on bright stars closer to our solar system, making it easier to do follow up observations on these stars and their planets. Follow up observations can be done by large telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope, by the scientists at NASA. 

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“It’s a finder scope for JWST,” said the principal investigator for TESS, at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Washington, DC in January. The purpose of TESS is to find a target for these large telescopes and observatories to focus on and to further the study of space. 

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While TESS’s primary mission will be exoplanet searches, like Kepler, it will have many different uses for astrophysical research. Scientists predict additional uses of the data such as stellar astrophysics and extragalactic astronomy. In essence, the launch of TESS opens up more in-depth exploration of the great expanse of space.

TESS is serving as the successor to Kepler, allowing for a more seamless transition from old to new. “TESS forms kind of a bridge between what we’ve learned about exoplanets to date and where we’re headed in the future,” said Volosin. “That’s a big part of our mission: to enable future exploration by providing a giant dataset all over the sky of where these exoplanets are.”

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This new era is an exciting start to greater technology, greater exploration, and hopefully greater knowledge of the worlds outside of earth.