>> RAZZ WE ALONE?
NOW HUMANS POSSESS THE
TECHNOLOGY TO SOLVE THIS
MYSTERY AND SHIP THEIR GUISE
THE STARS.
THIS IS THE SEARCH FOR
EXOPLANETS.
THIS IS TESS.
FROM NASA'S KENNEDY SPACE
STERN IN FLORIDA, ARE
WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE OF
THE RAN SITTING EXOSURVEY
SAT SAT LIT OR TESS A
MISSION TO FIND NEW PLANETS
OUTSIDE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
THAT COULD SUPPORT LIFE.
HI, I AM MARIE LEWIS.
THANKS FORDOWNING US.
TESS WILL HELP US ANSWER AN
AGE-OLD QUESTION.
ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE
THE IMAGES TESS WILL CAPTURE
COULD BE THE KEY TO SOLVING
THE MYSTERY.
TESS IS A PLANET HUNTER
ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A
TWO-YEAR MISSION TO SCAN THE
ENTIRE SKY BY BREAKING IT UP
TO 2 6:00 DIFFERENT
SECTIONS.
POWERFUL CALMS ON TESS WILL
STAIR STARE AT EACH ZONE FOR
A MONTH MONITORING 200,000
STARS BE A LOOKING FOR
CHANGES IN THE BRIGHTNESS
THAT SIGNAL A PLANET.
THE GOAL IS TO FIND OTHER
PLANET LIKE EARTH AND DECIDE
WHICH WITNESS DESERVE CLOSER
LOOK.
TESS IS SCHEDULED TO LUNCH
ON TOP OF A SPACEX FALCON
ROCKET AT 6:51 TONIGHT
EASTERN TIME FROM SPACE
LAUNCH COMPLEX 40 ON CAPE A
FAV RAL.
TESS HAS WITHIN DOVE 30
SECONDS TO LAUNCH AND TAKE
TWO MONTHS TO REACH ORBIT.
COMING UP FROM WE HEAR FROM
SPACEX IN CALIFORNIA AND
WE'LL SHARE MORE ABOUT THE
THRILLING DISCOVERIES TESS
COULD UNCOVER.
BUT FIRST, WE'RE NOW ABOUT
2000MS FROM LAUNCH SO LET'S
CHECK IN WITH NASA'S JOSH
FINCH AND MIKE CAREY IN THE
MISSION DIRECTOR CENTER FOR
WEATHER UPDATE.
GUYS?
>> THANK YOU.
I AM JOSH FINCH.
>> I AM MIKE CURRY.
WINNER HANGAR AE AT CAPE
CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION
VERY CLOSE TO COMPLEX 40
WHERE THE FALCON ROCKIES
POISE FOR LAUNCH TODAY.
WE HAVE TEAMS FROM SPACEX
HAS AND THE U.S. AIR FORCE
WORKING FROM THE EAST COAST
OF FLORIDA TO THE WEST COAST
OF CALIFORNIA.
TO LAUNCH NASA'S PLANET
HUNTING SPACECRAFT.
OUR FIRST LAUNCH ATTEMPT ON
APRIL 16th WAS SCRUBBED
TO ALLOW LAUNCH TEAMS TO
FURTHER REVIEW DATA FOR THE
SPACEX FALCON GUIDANCE AND A
HALF IS GOING AND CONTROL
SYSTEM AND NOW COMPLETE AND
WE ARE GO FOR TODAY'S LAUNCH
AT 6:51:31 P.M. EASTERN
TIME.
>> ASK YOUD ABOUT THE
WEATHER FOR TODAY'S LAWN.
THE FORECAST HAS IMPROVED
ADDS WELL FROM THE FIRST
ATTEMPT.
TODAY, THE SKIES ARE CLEAR
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE
SCREEN.
THE TESTIMONY FIRES
72 DEGREES.
LIGHT WINDS OUT OF THE
SOUTHEAST AT 1 TO 15 MILES
PER HOUR.
WE HAVE NO PRIMARY CONCERNS
FOR LAUNCH TODAY.
OUR PROBABILITY OF VIOLATION
IS LESS THAN TEN PERCENT
MEANING WE'RE OVER 9% GO FOR
TODAY'S LAUNCH IN TERMS OF
WEATHER.
>> THE U.S. AIR FORCE IS
ALSO MONITORING THE EASTERN
TRAJ MAKE SURE COMMERCIAL
AND PERSONAL AIRCRAFT ARE
CLEAR OF THE RESTRICTED AREA
AND THAT WATER ONCE THE
LAUNCH SAFETY ZONE ARE CLEAR
OF ANY BOAT AND RECEIVED A
COLLISION AVOIDANCE UPDATE
WHICH IS TRACK ANY POTENTIAL
OBJECTION IN SPACE AND IT IS
ALL CLEAR FOR TODAY.
WE HAVE NO SO-CALLED SO
WE'RE ON TIME TO HOPE TOKING
OF THE LAUNCH WINDOW.
>> TEAMS CONTINUE TO WORK TO
THE NECESSARY PROCEDURES TO
PREP THE FALCON 9 ROCKET AND
THE TESS SPACECRAFT LAUNCH
INCLUDING LOADING FUEL INTO
BOTH ROCKET STAGES AND
MAKING SURE ALL SYSTEMS ARE
PROPERLY CHECKING OUT.
AS MIKE MENTIONED WE HAVE
DONE VISION OF THE EASTERN
RANGE.
AND THE LOADING OF RP1 FUEL
AND THE ROCKET AT T MINUS
1:10 AND THE EASTERN RANGE
GOES FOR LAUNCH AT THE
FALCON 9 THAN THE LANDING OF
THE FIRST STAGE AND LIQUID
OXYGEN BEING AT T MINUS
3500S WITH THINGS TRACKING
ON TIME HERE.
WE'LL GO BACK TO.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANKS, GUYS.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
NASA HAS EXPLORED THE
POSSIBILITY OF OTHER EARTH'S
OR BITING DISTANCE STARS.
THE MISSIONS OF KEPLER AND
K2 HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF
KNOWN AND LIKELY PLANETS
THAT FOREVER CHANGED OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT LIES
BEYOND THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
TESS A JOINT MISSION BETWEEN
NAS SAN THE MASSACHUSETTS
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WILL
CONTINUE THIS GROUNDBREAKING
WORK BUT IS DIFFERENT FROM
KEPLER IN TWO IMPORTANT
WAYS.
FIRST, TESS WILL COVER THE
AREA OF SKY 350 TIMES LARGER
THAN KEPLER.
TESS WILL ALSO LOOK AT STARS
UP TO 100 TIMES BROUGHTER
THAN THOSE KEPLER STUDIED
THIS WILL SHOW US PLANETS
CLOSE FOR THE SOLAR SYSTEM
MAKING FOLLOW-UP
OBSERVATIONS MUCH EASIER.
USING TESS DATA MISSIONS
LOOK THE JAMES WEBB SPACE
TELESCOPE CAN HONE IN ON
TRAITS OF THE PLANETS ARE
THEY WATER WORLDS OR PERHAPS
BIG ROCKS LIKE EARTH.
AND COULD THEY SUPPORT
LIFE?
SEE YOUIAN TICS PECK TO
STAND TO FIND 300 PLANETS
THE SAME SIZE AS ETHERROR UP
TWO TWO TIMES LARGE THE TESS
WILL BE THE FIRST LAUNCH OF
ITS KIND FOR SPACEX ANAS SA
IS PROUD TO BE EX PALLING
THE RANGE OF MISSIONS WITH
THE COMMERCIAL PARTNER.
SPACEX'S BRIAN LIVE TO THE
MISSION CONTROL CENTER IN
HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA WITH
MORE.
BRIAN?
>> HI, EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS BRIAN.
AM A SOFTWARE ENGINEER HERE
AT THE SPACEX HEADQUARTERS
IN HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA NOW
IT IS NOT EVERY DAY THAT YOU
CAN SAY YOU ARE LAUNCHING A
PLANET HUNTER SO THED ARE
EXCITED TO BE LAUNCH SUCH A
COOL SPACECRAFT.
NOW MOST OF YOU HAVE
PROBABLY WATCHED THE
LAUNCHES TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
OR THE ISS BUT THE PROFILE
OF TODAY'S MISSION IS QUITE
A BIT DIFFERENT.
FOR OUR RESUPPLY MISSIONS,
FALCON 9 DELIVERS DRAGON TO
LOW EARTH ORBIT AT T PLUS 14
MINUTES THEN DRAGON MAKES
THE WAY TO THE ISS ABOUT A
DAY AND A HALF LATER.
MU FOR TODAY'S MISSION,
FALCON 9 WILL BE DELIVERING
TESTS TO ELLIPTICAL EARTH
ORBIT IN WHICH TESS WILL
MOVE TON THE OWN POWER TO
THE LUNAR TRANSFER ORBIT.
THAT MISSION PROFILE
DESCRIBED IS MUCH MORE LOOK
THE TRANSFER ORBIT IS MORE
THE G 2:00 O MISSIONS.
THE SECOND STAGE WILL COST
FOR ABOUT HALF-HOUR WITH THE
DEPLOYMENT OF THE TESS
SPACECRAFT AT T PLUS 49
MINUTES.
TODAY TESS IS FLY ON NEW
FALCON 9 ROCKET BUT PLANNING
TO LAN RECOVER THE FIRST
STAGE BOOSTER AFTER TODAY'S
LAUNCH SO IT COULD BE REPLON
ON A FUTURE SPACEX MISSION.
NOR MISSION, WE WILL BE
ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON OUR
ATOM US NOW SPACE PORT DRONE
SHIP NAMED I STILL LOVE YOU
AND WE DO HOPE THE SIGNAL
HOLDS OUT LOPPING ENOUGH SO
WE CAN BRING YOU LIVE VIDEO
OF THE LANDING ATTEMPT.
NOW, THE DRONE SHIP IS
CURRENTLY STATIONED OUT IN
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN WAITING
TO WELCOME THE FIRST STAGE
BACK TO EARTH EIGHT MINUTES
AFTER LIFTOFF.
REMEMBER THE IN LAG THE
FIRST STATION THE SECONDARY
OBJECTIVE FOR TODAY'S
MISSION.
OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO
DELIVER TOAST ORBIT.
SO FAR THINGS ARE LOOKING
GREAT FOR LIFTOFF AT
6:51:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME.
BACK TO YOU.
>> FANTASTIC.
THANKS.
TESS IS DECKED OUT WOMEN
PRESSIVE EQUIPMENT TO CARRY
OUT THE MISSION.
FOUR SPUNKING WHEELS ALLOW
TOES TURN AND POINT AT
STARS.
FOUR STATE-OF-THE-ART CAMERA
ARE AS WILL LOOK FOR CHANGES
IN LIGHT THAT INDICATE A
MOVING PLAB NET.
EACH CRAM HAS SEVEN STACKED
LENSES TO BRING IMAGES INTO
FOCUS.
A SHADE PROTECTS THE CAMERAS
FROM THE SEASON'S HEAT AND A
COMPUTER INSIDE OF TEST
STORES DAT AN EN ANTENNA
TRAN MITS THE DATA BACK TO
EARTH.
NOW INTERPRETING THE DAT IS
JUST AS IMPORTANT AS
GATHERING IT.
NASA'S ADMAN GRIEF VIN IS
LIVE AT THE TURN BASIN WITH
SCIENTIST DR. MARTIN WITH
MORE.
ADMAN NA THANK YOU.
>> THANK.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US HERE TODAY.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THE EXOPLANETS?
>> SURE.
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM HAS EIGHT
MAJOR PLANETS.
INCLUDING THE EARTH, OF
COURSE.
THEY ALL ORBIT OUR SUN.
IF WE LOOK AT STARS
ELSEWHERE IN THE GALAX WHERE
I, THEY ALSO HAVE OR BITING
PLANETS AND WE TURN THOSE
EXOPLANETS.
>> HOW IS TESS HELPING US
STUDY THOSE PLANETS?
>> IF YOU CAN REMEMBER,
KEPLER MISSION IS STILL
OPERATING AND IT IS TO DM
HOW COMMON PLANET REASONS
THE GALAXY AND THE ANSWER IS
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.
THEY ARE ALL OVER THE
PLACE.
THAT ALLOWS US TO BUILD AND
LAUNCH TESS AND DO A SURVEY
FOR THE NEAREST PLANETS
AROUND THE NEAREST STARS.
NOW, KEPLER BECAUSE OF THE
NATURE OF THE SURVEY, WHILE
WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT THE
PLANETS OF THE PLANETARY
SYSTEMS IT FOUND, YOU WILL
NOTICE THERE WAS NOT SO
MUCH, THERE IS NOT SO MUCH
OF THE STORY AFTER THE
ORIGINAL PROTECTION BECAUSE
THOSE PLANETS ARE SO FAR
AWAY.
WE COULD NOT FOLLOW UP AND
DO MORE SCIENCE.
THE TESS, THESE STARS AND
PLANETS ARE SO MUCH CLOSER
WE CAN CHARACTERIZE AND FIND
ATMOSPHERES AROUND THE
PLANETS AND CHARACTERIZE THE
CONSTITUENTS OF THOSE
ATMOSPHERES SO WE DO
FOLLOW-UP AND THE STORIES OF
THESE PLANETS WILL CONTINUE
ON LONG AFTER.
>> SO WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT
THESE EXOPLANETS?
>> BAITS US OUR HUMAN NATURE
TO UNDER STAND WHAT THE
UNIVERSE IS.
IT IS OUR HUMAN NATURE TO
UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CAME
FROM.
WHERE WE ARE GOING.
OF COURSE, ARE WE ALONE?
THE ONLY PLACE IN THE
UNIVERSE WE KNOW IS LIFE IS
HERE ON EARTH.
SO THE MOST NATURAL PLACE TO
GO LOOKING FOR IT ELSEWHERE
ARE EXOPLANETS.
>> AND SO SPEAKING OF
SEARCHING FOR IT ELSEWHERE,
I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE LOOKING
FOR ATLE 5 R8 A% OF THE
SKY.
S WHERE THE OTHER 15%.
WHY ARE WE LEAVING THAT NEWT
OH, SURE.
I TURNS OUT WE ARE SURVEYING
THAT 15% WITH THE REPURPOSED
KEPLER SPACECRAFT, RIGHT
NOW.
>> PERFECT.
>> WE'RE SAVING OUR OWN TIME
AND ENERGY TO SURVEY
BRAND-NEW PARTS OF THE SKY.
>> PERFECT.
>> WELL, GOOD LUCK WITH
TODAY'S LAUNCH.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO
SEEING WHAT TESS BRINGS
BACK.
>> THANK YOU VERY.
>> BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU, AMANDA.
ARE LOOK NOW AT A LIVE VIEW
OF SPACE LAUNCH COMPLEX 40
AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER IN
FLORIDA WITH NASA'S NEXT
PLANET HUNTER ON TOP OF A
SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET.
WE'RE ALMOST READY TO LAUNCH
THE TRANSITING EXOPLANET
SURVEY SATELLITE OR TESS
INTO ORBIT.
HI, I AMA RELEWIS.
FOR THOSE JOINING US ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
WELCOME TO THE LAUNCH
COVERAGE TESS WHICH COULD
HELP US FIND OTHER WORLDS
JUST LIKE EARTH.
TESS WILL SPEND TWO YEARS
GAZING AT ALMOST OUR ENTIRE
SKY BY BREAK IT UP TO 26
DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
FOUR POWERFUL CAMERAS WILL
STARE AT EACH ZONE FOR MONTH
MONITORING MORE
THAN $200,000 STARS AND
LOOKING FOR CHANGES IN THE
BRIGHTNESS THAT SIGNAL A
PLANET CROSSING OVER.
OUR GOAL IS TO FIND OTHER
PLANETS LIKE EARTH AND DEA
SIDE WHICH ONES DESERVE A
CLOSER LOOK.
THE SPACEX FALCON ROCKET IS
SET TO LIFT OFF WITH TESS AT
6:51 THIS EVENING EASTERN
TIME FROM SPACE LAUNCH
COMPLEX 40.
WE HAVE A 30-SECOND WINDOW
FOR LAUNCH ANTES WILL TAKE
TWO MONTHS TO REACH ORBIT.
AT T MINUS 10 MINUTES AND
COUNTING LET'S GO FOR STATUS
UPDATE IN THE MISSION
DIRECTOR CENTER.
GUYS, HOW ARE THINGS
LOOKING.
>> THANKS.
THINGS TON GO WELL HERE IN
THE MISSION DIRECTOR CENTER
FOR ONLIME LIFTOFF AT
6:51:00 P.M.
THE WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE
VERY WELL.
SO CLOUDS IN THE SKY.
REALLY BEAUTIFUL NIGHT AS
THE SUNSETS OVER THE SPACE
COAST.
WE V LIGHT WINDS OUT OF THE
SOUTHEAST.
WE'RE LESS THAN 10% PROC OF
VIOLATION WHICH MEANS WE ARE
90% GO FOR TODAY'S LAUNCH.
>> WE HAVE RECEIVED
CONFIRMATION THAT THE TESS
SPACECRAFT IS ON INTERNAL
POWER.
PREPARATIONS FOR ENGINE
CHILL TOLL ALLOW FOR FUEL OR
PROPELLANT TO FLOW THROUGH
THE IN GINS WILL OCCUR AT T
MINUS SEVEN MINUTANCE THE
EASTERN RANGE ARE SET FOR T
MINUS FIVE MINUTE AND THE
STRONG BACK WHICH STANDS
NEXT TO ROCKET WILL REGIN TO
RETRACT TO LAUNCH POSITION
AT T MINUS 4:50 AND THE
FALCON 9 WILL MOVE TO
INTERNAL POWER IN THE FINAL
MINUTES SO AS WE APPROACH
LAUNCH AND A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN NINE MINUTES FROM NOW.
WEATHER IS A GO.
THE SPACECRAFT AND THE
ROCKET LET A GO AND HAND
THINGS BACK OVER TO YOU.
>> LEX LE.
THAT WAS WHAT WE TO LOVE
HEAR.
TESS IS THE SECOND IN
ACTION-PACKED LINE-UP FOR
THE LAUNCH SERVICE PROGRAM
THIS YEAR.
ITS THE BUSIEST SCHEDULE IN
MORE THAN DECADE.
WITH SIXMEN MISSION IN SIX
MONTHS FROM SIX DF REN
LAUNCH SITES.
IN MARCH, THE PROGRAM
LAUNCHED A WEATHER SATELLITE
CALLED GOES-S WHICH HAS BEEN
RENAMED GOES 17 THAT WILL
GIVE US LIVE SAVING WARNINGS
ABOUT HURRICANES AND
WILDFIRES AND THE PROGRAM IS
GEARING UP ANOTHER NEXT
LAUNCH IN MAY.
THAT IS A PHLEB WILL DELVE
DEEP BEE HEATH THE SURFACE
OF MARS.
JOINING US LIVE ABOUT FIVE
MINUTES FROM THINK LAUNCH
SITE IS NASA EDGE'S BLAIR
ALLEN WITH MORE.
HI.
>> HI, MARIE.
THANKS SO MUCH.
WE'RE JOINED NOW BY CHUCK OF
THE LAUNCH SERVICES PROGRAM
AND THEY DESCRIBED YOUR
LINE-UP THIS YEAR AS
ACTION-PACKED.
SIX LAUNCHES.
SIX CITIES.
SIX LAUNCH VEHICLES.
SOUNDS LIKE A LAUNCH TOUR
ME.
>> WELL, IT IS.
IN RETROSPECT, WE HAD BUSY
YEARS BEFORE.
SOMETIME Z AS MUCH AS EIGHT
OR NINE LAUNCHES A YEAR.
THIS ONCE UNIQUE BECAUSE WE
HAVE INTERPLAN TERRY MARCH
TO MARS FROM VANDENBERG AIR
FORCE BASE SO THAT IS
INTERPLANETARY MISSION IS
UNIQUE FOR US.
SIX MISSIONS IS NOT A LOT
FOR THE LAUNCH SERVICES
PROGRAM.
BUT TO BE IN SIX DIFFERENT
VEHICLES IS UNIQUE.
>> I MEAN, HOW DO YOU PLAN
FOR THAT?
DO YOU TALK IT AS IT COMES?
>> WE TALK IT AS IT COMES.
WE HAVE LAUNCHED AS NAIN AS
NINE MISSION IN ONE YEAR
BEFORE.
A COUPLE OF YEARS WE HAVE
DONE AILING LAUNCHES.
WE HAVE NEVER DONE SIX ON
SIX DIFFERENT VEHICLES FROM
SIX DIFFERENT LOCATION.
SO WE DO HAVE TO BE
FLEXIBLE.
>> PRET TIM PRESS.
I.
>> WELL, IT IS EXCITING.
WE LOVE IT.
A WELL, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF
THE FALCON 9.
>> WELL, FALCON 9.
THE SECOND CONTRACTED
FALCON.
AS YOU KNOW, THEY ARE
LEADING THE U.S. LAUNCH
VEHICLE INDUSTRY AND BEING
ABLE TO REUSE A LOT OF THE
EXPENSIVE LAUNCH VEHICLE
COMPONENTS.
>> OF COURSE, THE FIRST
STAGE, NOW THEY ARE LOOKING
AT REUSING THE TABS AS
WELL.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST LAUNCH
ALSO TO A TRANSLUNAR ORBIT
AND TO PUT ELON ON PATH TO
MARS.
>> WELL, YOU GOT TO BE
PREPARE FOR ANYTHING THESE
DAYS, RIGHT INTO RIGHT.
WE LIKE THE LAUNCH VEHICLE
INDUSTRY IS EVOLVING VERY
QUICKLY AND WE'RE GLAD WE
CAN BE A PART OF THAT.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING
ON THE SHOW.
WE EXPECT A LOT FROM LAUNCH
SERVICES BUT EXPECT A GREAT
LAUNCH TODAY.
>> THANK YOU, BLAIR.
>> BACK TO YOU, MARIE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE ARE NOW SIX MINUTES A
WAY FROM LAUNCH.
LET'S CHECK IN BACK IN WITH
BRIAN AT SPACEX MISSION
CONTROL.
BRIAN SHALL HOW ARE THINGS
LOOKING FROM HAW NOON WELL,
EVERYTHING IS GREAT.
LOOK OVER HERE AT THE
HEADQUARTERS AS THE ENERGY
STARTS TO BUILD UNDERNEATH
ME ON THE MEZZANINE HERE.
NOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY
NOT BE AWARE THE FALCON 9
USES A ROCKET GRADE KEROSENE
FOR THE FUEL.
NOW MIKE AND JOSH MENTIONED
THIS EARLIER OVER HANGAR
AE.
WE CALL IT ROCKET PROPELAR
ONE BUN ADDITION YOU NEED
OXIDIZE ONBARD TO COME BEST
AND WE USE LIQUID OXYGEN.
THERE IS NO OXYGEN IN SPICE
WE HAVE TO CARRY OUR OWN AND
DO SIGN COLD DENSE LUCK QUID
STATE.
THE FUEL AND THE OXIDIZER
FOR ANY ROCKET ARE
COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS
PROPELLANTS AS OF RIGHT
NOW.
CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
WELL, WE EXPECT TO CONCLUDE
THE LOADING PROCESS AT T
MINUS 5 MINUTES, SO JUST
ABOUT A MINUTE FROM NOW.
WE ARE LAUNCHING FROM SPACE
LAUNCH COMPLEX 40 TODAY
WHICH IS LOCATED AT CAPE
CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION
SO WE GOT THE AIR FORCE'S
45th SPACE WING
SUPPORTING THE LAUNCH.
THAT LOOKS LOOK THE RANGE IS
READY TO GO AND BE IS
TRACKING NO ISSUES THAT
TIME.
WELL, FINALLY, THE WEATHER
IS LOOKING BEAUTIFUL AS YOU
SAW IN THE SCREEN.
T MINUS 5 WITH A ROCKET THE
SATELLITE, THE RANGE, AND
THE WEATHER ALL LOOKING
GOOD.
WE ARE GO FOR THE LAUNCH OF
THE PLANET TESS.
EVERYONE HERE AT HAWTHORNE
IS EXTREMELY EXCITED TO BE A
PART OF THIS MISSION AND
LOOK FORWARD TO LIFTOFF A
FEW MINUTES FROM NOW.
BACK TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU, BRIAN P. AS
YOU HEARD WE ARE FIVE
MINUTES TO LAUNCH AND
CLOSING ON IN THIS FINAL
ACTIVITIES AND GO BACK TO
JOSH AND MAYBE TO TAKE US
THROUGH THE FINAL
COUNTDOWN.
GUYS.
>> MARIAN IS T MINUS 5
MINUTE AND COUNTING AND WELL
COUPLE WATCHING US ON AS?
TV OR THE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR
THE EXCITING LAUNCH ON THE
FALCON 9 PROBABLY KET TESS,
THE TRANSITING EXOPLANET
SURVEY SATELLITE.
WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE A
GO.
WE'RE WORKING NO TECHNICAL
ISSUES.
JOSH, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT
IS COMING UP BETWEEN NOW AND
LIFTOFF?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO
AT 2 2:00 MINUS 7.
THE ENGINES WERE CHILLED
PRIOR TO LIFTOFFS WHICH
ALLOWS HIM TO SAFELY MOVE
PROPELLANTS THROUGH THEM.
SYSTEMS RESPONSIBLE FOR
IGNITING THE ENGINES JUST
BEFORE LIFEOFF.
THE STRONG BACK I WHICH IS
THE STRUCTURE THE LEFT ON
THE PICTURE NEXT THOUGH
FALCON WILL BEGIN TO
RESTRACT TO THE LAUNCH
POSITION MOMENTARILY.
THE THRUST VECTOR CONTROL
ACTUATORS WILL BE MOVED.
THIS IS THE SYSTEM THAT
ALLOWS FOR CONTROL OF THE
VEHICLE WHILE IN FLIGHT AND
THAT HAPPENS T MINUS 2:55.
>> T MINUS 3:55 FROM
LAUNCH.
AND AT ONE MINUTE FRYER
LAUNCH THE COMPUTER WILL
BEGAN THE FINAL PRELAUNCH
CHECKS.
T MINUS 45 SECONDS THE
LAUNCH DIRECTOR WILL VERIFY
AND GO FOR LAWN.
>> LIFTOFF THE FALCON 9 WILL
PRODUCE THRUST GREATER THAN
57-47.
AFTER LIFTOFF THE FALCON 9
WILL BEGIN A PITCH KICK AT
TEN SECONDS INTO PLIGHT THE
MOVE GETS TO ROCKETS FLYING
ON THE CORRECT PATH.
JUST OVER ONE MINUTE INTO
FLIGHT.
THE FALCON 9 WILL REACH
SPEED.
THE VEHICLE WILL PASS
THROUGH THE AREA OF MAXIMUM
AERODYNAMIC PRESSURE AT 1:18
AFTER LIFTOFF.
>> JUST OVER THREE MINUTE
MOOSE THE FLIGHT, THE FALCON
9 WILL JETTISONED THE FIRST
STAGE AND STARTED THE FIRST
BURN OF THE SECOND STAGE
ENGINE AND JETTISONED THE
TESS SPACECRAFT.
THE SECOND STAGE ENGINE WILL
COMPLETE TWO DIFFERENT BURNS
BEFORE TESS SPACECRAFT IS
SEPARATED JUST OVER 46
MINUTES INTO FLIGHT AT
ELAPSE TOWN CYCLEAR ARRAY
WILL BE DEPLOYED.
OUR LIVE LAUNCH COVERAGE
WILL END THERE AND THE
HYUNAR ORBIT 60 DAYS AFTER
LAUNCH.
AT LIFTOFF YOU WILL BEGIN
HEARING A NUMBER OF VOICES
CALLING OUT OVER THE
BROADCAST AND SPACEX
COMMENTARY PERFORMED BY
SEVERAL DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND
THE PROPULSION ENGINEER
CALLS OUT PROPULL SHOB
EVENTS AND THE RANGE
COORDINATOR CALLS OUT AIR
FORCE SATELLITE CONTROL
NETWORK ACQUISITION AND LOSS
OF SIGNAL BE A THE GROUND
STATION SPECIALISTS CALLS
OUT THE SPACEX ANTENNA AND
LOSS OF SIGNAL.
>> T MINUS 2:20 UNTIL
LAUNCH.
EVERYTHING PROCEEDING
NORMALLY.
RETRACKED TO THE LAUNCH
POSITION.
>> RETRACTED TO THE LAUNCH
POSITION.
>> STAGE TWO COMPLETE.
RICK LIQUID OXYGEN FULLY
LOADED ON THE SECOND STAGE.
>> CONFIRMATION THE FALCON
IS ON INTERNAL.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT LIVE
VIEW.
THE AONLY TOM US NOW FLIGHT
TERMINATION SYSTEM WILL BE
VERIFIED MOMENTARILY AT T MY
US IN 1:05.
OXYGEN FROM BOTH STAGES OF
THE FALCON 9 ROCKET.
>> ATF IS READY FOR LAUNCH.
PROPELLANT TANKS.
A.
>> READY FOR FLIGHT.
>> GO FOR LAUNCH.
>> AND THE SPACEX LAUNCH
DIRECTOR SAYS GO FOR
LAUNCH.
SHORTLY YOU WILL BEGIN TO
SEE THE LAUNCHPAD'S DELUGE
SYSTEM OOK VATED THAT
SUPPRESSES FROM THE ENGINE
PLUMES TO CHILDREN TO
EFFECTIVE VIBRATION.
>> 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET
SETTING SPACECRAFT THAT WILL
SEARCH FOR NEW WORLDS BEYOND
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM.
>> SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE
AGAIN WILL MAKE CALLOUTS ON
THE TRAJECTORY OF THE
ROCKET.
>> STATUS OF STAGE ONE.
>> STAGE ONE.
SPACEX FALCON 9 HAS BEGUN
THE MANEUVER.
>> JUST ABOUT 45 SECONDS
INTO THE FLIGHT OF FALCON
9.
JUST OVER ONE 00 THE FALCON
9 WILL REACH SPEED AND PASS
THROUGH MAX X THE POINT
WHERE MECHANICAL STRESS ON
THE ROCKET REACHES THE
PEAK.
THE VEHICLE IS SUPERSONIC.
>> VEHICLE HAS PASSED
MAXIMUM AERODYNAMIC
PRESSURE.
A MINUTE AWAY.
MAIN ENGINE CUTOFF YOU WILL
HEAR THE CALL MECO THAT
HAPPENS 2:30 INTO THE
FLIGHT.
>> COMING UP ON THE TWO
MINUTE MARK IN FLIGHT.
WE ARE 30 SECONDS AWAY FROM
MECO.
ONE SECOND THE FIRST STAGE
WILL SEPARATE.
TEN SECONDS AWAY FROM MECO.
AND WE HAVE CONFIRMATION.
CONFIRMED.
>> CONFIRMATION IS
CONFIRMED.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT A LIVE
SHOT OF THE SECOND STAGE.
THE SECOND STAGE ENGINE HAS
IGNITED.
STABBING BY FOR JETTISON
PROTECTED TESS ON THE WAY
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE SECONDS AWAY FROM
JETTISON.
>> PREPARING SEPARATION
CONFIRMED.
VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE
FARING SEPARATION.
FIVE MINUTES REMAINING IN
THE BURN OF THE FALCON 9
SECOND STAGE.
>> DEPLOY.
>> 3:33.
U WILL HEAR CALLS ABOUT THE
FIRST STAGE MAKING THE WAY
BACK TO THE DRONE SHIP.
MEANWHILE THE SECOND STAGE
OF FALCON 9 CONTINUES TO
CARRY TESS ONBARD TOWARD
SPATIAL.
ABOUT FEW MINUTES REMAINING
IN THE BURN ON THE FALCON 9
SECOND STAGE.
>> THERE ON THE SCREEN YOU
SEE THE FIRST STAGE OF THE
FALCON ROCKET COMING BACK TO
THE DRONESHIP IN THE
ATLANTIC OCEAN.
THE SECOND STAGE CONTINUES
TO BURN.
SECOND STAGE ENGINE.
ABOUT 2:35 LEFT IN THIS
BURN.
AND THERE IS ANOTHER SHOT OF
FALCON 90'S FIRST STAGE.
WESTERN MISSION LAPSE TIME
6:13.
>> STAGE ONE.
>> AND THE STAGE ONE ENTRY
BURN HAS STARTED.
COB FIR NATION THE STAGE ONE
ENTRY BURN HAS SHUT DOWN.
1:15 LEFT OF THE SECOND
STAGE BURN UNTIL IT IS
COMPLETE.
MEMBERS OF THE TEST TEAM.
THE LAUNCH VEHICLE DATA
CENTER.
ON CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE
STATION.
>> THE FIRST STAGE HAS
GONE.
30 SECONDS AWAY THE SECOND
STAGE ENGINE.
>> IT HAS STARTED.
>> ABOUT TEN SECONDS LEFT IN
THE SECOND STAGE BURN.
THERE IS A CRAM ON THE DRONE
SHIP.
THE FALCON 9 FIRST STAGE
LOOKING TO LAND.
>> DEPLOYED.
>> FALCON TOUCHDOWN.
LANDING OPERATORS PROCEED ON
RECOVERY.
THE FIRST STAGE LANDING AND
THE SECOND STAGE ENGINE BURN
IS COMPLETED.
>> COMPLETION OF THE FIRST
BURN OF THE SECOND STAGE.
ENDING THE FALCON 9 FIRST
STAGE ON THE DRONE SHIP AND
NOW BEGIN TO GO BACK TO
MARIE LEWIS IN THE
AUDITORIUM AT KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER.
MARIE, WE TURN IT OVER BACK
TO YOU.
>> EXCITING TO SEE.
WITH THE SURVEY AREA
SCANNING THE WHOLE SKY
AROUND EARTH, TESS' CAMERAS
HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO
COVER.
CAREFULLY TIMED ROTATIONS
WILL HELP TESS ACCOMPLISH
THIS EXTRAORDINARY FEAT.
HERE IS A VIDEO TO SHOW YOU
HOW.
>> IN THE LAST FEW DECADES,
WE HAVE FOUND THOUSANDS OF
WORLDS AROUND OTHER STARS.
A NEW NASA ASTROPHYSICS
MISSION WILL HELP US FIND
MANY MORE.
>> TESS, TRANSITING
EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE,
IS NASA'S NEWEST EXOPLANET
MISSION THAT IS BEING LED
OUT OF M.I.T. AND GOING TO
FIND THOUSANDS OF NEW
PLANETS ORBITING BRIGHT
NEARBY STARS AND GOING TO
BUILD UPON THE LEGACY OF THE
KEPLER MISSION AND GOING TO
FOCUS ON NEARBY BRIGHT STARS
THAT ARE SPRINKLED ACROSS
THE SKY AND GOING TO HELP US
ANSWER REALLY IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS THAT IS WHICH MARE
BYE NEIGHBORS HAVE PLANETS?
>> DURING THE TWO-YEAR
SURVEY, TESS WILL LACK FOR
SIGNS OF PLANETS RANGING
FROM EARTH SIZE TO GIANTS
LARGER THAN JUPITER.
TESS WILL SEARCH FOR THESE
NEW WORLDS OR EXOPLANETS
USING TRANSITS THE SAME
METHOD AS THE KEPLER
MISSION.
AS PLANET PASSES IN FRONT OF
THE STAR, IT BLOCKS SOME OF
THE LIGHT CAUSING A SLIGHT
DROP IN BRIGHTNESS.
TESS CAN DETECT THOSE SUBTLE
DIPS AND EVEN USE THEM TO
DETERMINE SOME BASIC
FEATURES OF THE PLANETS SUCH
AS THEIR SIZE AND/OR ABOUT
IT.
AND ANTICIPATE OF TESS'
CAMERAS HAS 6.8 MEGAPIXEL
SENSOR COVERING 24-DEGREE
SCARE LARGE ENOUGH TO
CONTAIN AN ENTIRE
CONSTELLATION.
TESS HAS FOUR OF THESE
CAMERAS ARRANGED TO THE
VERTICAL STRIP OF THE SKYED
OBSERVATION SECTOR.
>> THE COVERAGE OF THE TESS
CAMERAS IS UNPRECEDENTED AND
IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF
SKY THEY COULD ACTUALLY SEE
AT ANY GIVEN TIME AND ALSO
THEIR ABILITY TO COVER SUCH
A BRAD PORTION OF THE SKY.
THE TYPES OF TARGETS THAT
TESS WILL ALLOW US TO FIND
WILL IN CLOSE EVENTUALLY ALL
THE BRIGHT NEARBY STARS AND
TESS WILL WATCH EACH
OBSERVATION SECTOR FOR ABOUT
27 DAYS BEFORE ROTATING TO
THE NEXT ONE COVERING FIRST
THE SOUTH AND THEN THE NORTH
TO EVENTUALLY BUILD AND MAP
OF 85% OF THE SKY.
THIS COVERAGE ABOUT 350
TIMES WHAT KEPLER FIRST
OBSERVED WILL MAKE TESS THE
FIRST EXOPLANET MISSION TO
SURVEY ALMOST THE ENTIRE
SKY.
TESS WILL FLY IN A HIGHLY
ELLIPTICAL ORBIT THAT
MAXIMIZES THE AMOUNT OF SKY
THE SPACECRAFT CAN IMAGE AND
CARLY TIMED WITH THE ORBIT
OF THE MOON.
IT WILL SPEN MOST OF EACH
13.7 DAY ORBITZ COLLECT DATA
AND THEN, AS IT PASS CLOSER
TO EARTH IT WILL TRAN MIT
THAT DAT TO THE GROUND.
BECAUSE TESS' OBSERVATION
SECTORS OVERLAP, IT WILL
HAVE AREA NEAR THE POLE
UNDER CONSTANT OBSERVATION.
THIS REGION IS EASILY
MONITORED BY THE JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE WHICH ALLOWS
THE TWO MISSIONS TO WORK
TOGETHER TO FIRST FIND AND
THEN CAREFULLY STUDY
EXOPLANETS.
SINCE MOST OF THE EXOPLANETS
FOUND BY TESS WILL ORBIT
BRIGHT STARS MISSIONS LIKE
WEBB WILL BE ABLE TO MEASURE
THE SPECTRA OF STARLIGHT
ABSORBED BY THE PLAN NOT'S
ATMOSPHERE WHICH CAN
INDICATE WHAT THEY ARE MADE
OF.
GROUPED BASE MEASUREMENTS
CAN DETERMINE THE MASSES.
COMBINED THE MASSES WITH
TESS' MEASUREMENTS REVEALS
DENSITY ALLOWING SCIENTISTS
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE
EXOPLAN NOT'S COMPOSITION.
THE THING WE ARE EXCITED
ABOUT WITH TESS IS THE WAY
IT WILL ACTUALLY BUILD ON
THE MOMENTUM WE STARTED WITH
KEBLER SO TESS IS GOING TO
TAKE THE SAME SEARCH
APPROACH BUT ALLAY IT TO THE
VAST MAYOR THINK OF SKY WILL
STILL HAS NOT BEEN LOOKED AT
IN DETAIL WHEN SEARCHING FOR
THE REQUEST AND BY FOCUSING
ESPECIALLY ON PLANETS THAT
ORBIT BRIGHT NEARBY STARS
TESS ALLOWS US TO LOOK LIKE
PLANET COMPOSITION,
ATMOSPHERIC MAKEUP AND BE
CRUCIAL WHEN WE START TO
START LOOK FOR THIS AWAY IN
DEEPER PARTS AS WELL.
>> TESS IS THE VAN GUARD OF
A NEW ERA OF EXOPLANET
STUDY.
AND WILL FOREVER EXPAND THE
UNDERSTANDING OF WORLDS
BEYOND OUR OWN.
OUR AMANDA GRUFF ITH IS LIVE
WITH M.I.T. WITH MORE ON THE
ANATOMY OF A PLANET HUNTER.
ADMAN?
>> THANK YOU, MARIE.
ARE PART OF THE TEAM THAT
PUT THE CAMERAS ONBOARD
TODAY'S SPACECRAFT.
SO WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO WATCH
THE LAUNCH TODAY INTO IT WAS
INCREDIBLE.
IT WAS SO EMOTION TOOLE SEE
THE PAYLOAD THAT WE WORKED
ON THE FOUR CAMERAS OVER THE
COURSE OF MANY, MANY MONTHS
TO SEE THEM GO UP TO SPACE
AND DISAPPEAR AND NOW THERE
ARE HEADING TO THE FINAL
ORBIT FOR TESS.
IT IS A BIG DEAL.
IT IS REALLY EXCITING.
I CANNOT WAIT TO GET STARTED
ON COLLECT DATA.
>> I AM EXCITED FOR YOU.
>> I KNOW YOU HAVE A LOT OF
TEAMMATES HERE.
TELL US ABOUT THE TEAM THAT
PUT THE CAMERAS ONBOARD.
RIGHT.
SO THE CALMS WERE DESIGNED
AND TESTED AT MIT AND MIT
LINCOLN LAB AND SO ONCE THE
CAMERA TESTING WAS COMPLETE
AFTER THE COURSE OF MANY
MONTHS WE SHIPPED THE
CAMERAS DOWN TO ORBIT ATK IN
DULLES, VIRGINIA WHERE THEY
WERE INTEGRATED TO THE
SURFACE CRAFT.
>> WHAT MAKES THE FOUR
CAMERAS SO AWESOME THAT ARE
ONBOARD THE TESS TODAY?
>> WELL, TESS' FOUR CAMERAS
ARE TOON MY, BUT MIGHTY.
IT IS WHAT WE LIKE TO SAY.
AND THEY ARE ONLY ABOUT
FOUR.
INCHES ACROSS THE LENSES AND
THEN THEY CAN FIT YOU KNOW,
IN A MAILBOX BASICALLY AND
BUT THEY ARE SO POW
WESTERLIFUL THE LENSES ON
THESE CAMERAS THE WIDE ANGLE
REPSES THAT CAU CAN HAVE
ENTIRE CONSTELLATION LIKE OH
RYAN IN THE FIELD OF VIEW IN
ONE OF THESE CAMERAS.
>> THEIR STUDIES ARE
CLOSER.
WHAT RANGE ARE WE LOOKING
SNOOT SO TESS IS GOING TO
LOOK AT NEAR AND BRIGHT
STARS TO OURSELVES AND THIS
IS WITHIN THE RANGE OF 32 TO
300 LIGHT YEARS ALSO.
KEPLER LOOKS AT STARS IN THE
RANGE OF 300 TO 3,000
LIGHT-YEARS.
>> ANYTHING ELSE INTERESTING
I THINK YOU ARE TALKING
ABOUT THE LENSES MAYBE?
AND THINGS LIKE THAT?
BUT UNIQUE FOR THESE
CAMERAS.
YES.
SO THE TESS LENSES LOOK AT
THE WAVE LENGTHS FROM GREEN
TO REALLY RED WHICH IS OBS
MIGHTED TO DISCOVER SMALL
PLANET ASH SMALL STARS WHICH
TEND TO EDER RESENSORS FOR
THE CAMERAS SINCETIVE SO
THIS IS MUCH MORE SENSITIVE
THAT YOUR CAMERA PHONE.
SO THE SENSE OF TY YOU CAN
IMAGINE AN ANALOG HERE ON
EARTH WOULD BE ABOUT THE
AMOUNT OF LIGHT THAT A MOUSE
BLOCKS OUT.
>> AWESOME.
CAN YOU USE THESE CAMERAS
HER ON NEITHER YES.
SO ACTUALLY, IN THE LAB WHEN
WE WERE TESTING THE CAMERAS
FOR THE FIRST TIME AND
RECEIVED ROW TOW TYPE WE HAD
IT THE TEST CHAMBER.
WE BLOCKED THE WINDOW FOR
THE CHAMBER AND LEFT JUST A
LITTLE PIN HOLE FOR THE
LIGHT TO COME IN AND WE WERE
ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE STAND IN
FRONT OF THE CAMERAS AND
TAKE A SELFIE.
>> OH.
THAT IS PROBABLY THE BEST
SELFIE EVER.
YOU THINK WE HAVE A SHOT OF
YOU GAS ON ROOF AT MIF.
>> YES.
WE TOOK ONE OF THE PROTOTYPE
CAMERAS AGAIN AND A TESS
CHAMBER THAT HAS THE
CONDITIONS OF THE PACE LIKE
A COLD VAC CALM AND TOOK IT
TO THE ROOF OF A BUILDING AT
M.I.T. AND M.I.T. IN
CAMBRIDGE HAS A LOT OF LIGHT
POLLUTION BUT WE BR WERE
ABLE TO TAKE IMAGE OF THIS
FIELD THAT IS -- THAT HAD
ALL THE STARS AND BEAUTIFUL
DENSE IMAGE OF ALL THE
BEAUTIFUL STARS AND THE
IMAGES ARE ONLY GOING TO GET
BETTER NOW WE'RE HEADING TO
OUR ORBIT.
RIGHT.
CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THEM.
CONGRATS ON THE LAUNCH
TODAY.
>> THANK.
GOOD LUCK.
>> BACK TO YOU?
THANS, AMANDA.
TESS WILL TRACK DOWN
EXOPLANET RANGING FROM EARTH
SIZE TO GAS GIANTS ORBITING
A WIDE RANGE OF STARS WITH
DIFFERENT DISTANCES.
NASA'S EDGES PLAIR ALLEN SAT
DOWN WITH JEFF TO UNDERSTAND
HOW TO DETECT PLANETS THAT
ARE LIGHT-YEARS AWAY.
BLAIR?
>> WE ARE HERE AT NASA
GODDARD SPACEFLIGHT CENTER
WITH THE PROJECT HAN GER FOR
TESS, THE TRANSITING
EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE.
JEFF, THIS IS A VERY
EXCITING MISSION.
LOOK AT EXOPLANETS.
TELL US WHATS THE TEST
MISSION?
>> SO ITS ANOTHER MISSION IN
NASA'S EFFORT TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT PLANETS YUD SOWFFED
THE SOLAR SYSTEM SO IT IS
KIND OF EVOLUTION RIGHT?
WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE.
NO SUCH THING AS EXOPLANET
AND NEVER BEEN FOUND AND
NOBODY THOUGHT THERE WOULD
BE SOME FOUND.
THEY ARE SO SMALL.
WHEN THE KEPLER MISSION FLEW
WITH MAYBE 10 TO 15 YEAR
AGO.
ALL OF THE SUDDEN THOUSANDS
WERE DISCOVERED THIS WERE
ORBITING PLANETS AROUND
STARS OUTSIDE OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM THAT SOME OF THEM
WERE AS SMALL AS THE EARTH
EVEN.
SO KEPLER WAS ABLE TO FIND
PLANETS MOSTLY LARGER ONCE
AND THEY FOCUSED ON ONE AREA
OF THE SKY FOR YEARS THEY
LOOKED AT ONE AREA.
SO WE KNEW THAT THERE IS NOW
LOTS OF PLANETS AND PROBABLY
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK THERE
ARE LOTS OF PLANETS SO OUR
MISSIONS ARE SURVEY MISSIONS
SO THE TESS HAS A SURVEY IN
IT.
SURVEYS IS ALL ABOUT WE'LL
LACK THROUGH THE WHOLE SKY
THE LOOK AT ONE SPOT.
WE LOOK ALL AROUND THE SKY
OVER TWO TO YOUR PERIOD AND
LOOK FOR PLANTS AM WE LOOK
FOR EARTH-LIKE PLANETS AND
CLOSER TO EARTH AND BY BEING
CLOSER TO EARTH IT ALLOWS
FURTHER FOLLOW-UP STUDY SO
IF YOU CAN FIND PLANET
ORBITING STARS THAT ARE NOT
THAT FAR AWAY NOW THE JAMES
WEBB TELESCOPE AND SAY OK, I
KNOW TESS HAS TOLL ME.
THERE IS A SMALL EARTH LIKE
PLANET.
I WILL GO AHELP AND OH CUSS
THE POWERFUL TELESCOPE.
NOW IN THE PLANET GOES IN
FRONT OF THE STAR, YOU CAN
ACTUALLY SEE THE LIGHT GOING
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE AND
COMING TO EARTH AND THEN,
THE SPECTRUM OF THAT
ATMOSPHERE IS AVAILABLE.
THE SPECTRUM BEING WHAT
PARTS OF THE STAR LIGHT WERE
OB SERBED BOO THE PLANET'S
AT HOS FER AND WILL TELL IF
THERE IS CARBON DIE OX XI
KID AND OXYGEN.
YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT EARTH
LIKE PLANET AND WHAT IT
HAS.
>> SO I MEAN, HAS TESS BEEN
SORT OF PUTTING OUT THIS MAP
OF POTENTIAL PLANETS FOR
JAMES WEBB.
>> EXACTLY.
>> SO THAT IS WHERE WE FIT
IN, FLIGHT SO KEPLER PROVED
THAT CUE FIND STARS ALMOST
ANYWHERE YOU LOOK THAT HAVE
PLANETS AROUND THEM.
>> SO KEPLER SHOWED THERE IS
A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES
OF SOLAR SYSTEMS THAT WE
NEVER WOULD HAVE I GAINED
AND THERE ARE EARTH-LIKE
PLANETS LOUT.
NOW WITH THE SENSITIVE SET
OF CAMERAS ON TESS, WE HAVE
FOUR CAMERAS ON THE
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL LOOK
OUT AT A WIDER SWATH OF THE
SKY THEN EVERY MONTH OR TWO,
WE'LL MOVE AND LOOK AT A
DIFFERENT PART OF THE SKY.
ONE THING WE'LL FOCUS ON IS
LOOKING STRAIGHT UP TO GIVE
IT THE NORTH ECLIP TICK POLE
AND BLASE THE JAMES WEBB
TELESCOPE CAN STARE AT THE
SPOT WITH THE SUNLIGHT NOT
GETTING IN THE WAIVE THE
OBSERVATION.
THAT IS A PLACE THEY WOULD
LAKE TO LOOK FOR EXOPLANETS
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE
ATMOSPHERE UNONE OF THESE
YOU HAVE TO STARE FOR QUITE
LONG TIME, EVERY TIME THE
PLANET GOES UNFRONT OF THE
STAROSTIES GREAT THEY HAVE
THESE OBJECTS AVAILABLE
STRAIGHT UP TO THE NORTH
ELIP TICK POLE OR STREET
DOWN.
S THAT YOU A LOT OF THE TOW
CUSS.
THE GOAL IS TO FIND THE
CANDIDATES TO LOOK AT.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS VASTLY
DIFFERENT FROM KEPLER END
THAT IT IS DOING THE
COMPLETE 360 FULL RANGE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO
DESCRIBE.
>> I YEAH.
THE WHOLE SKY SURVEY.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT THAT
IS.
MAIM GIN WHAT KEPLER WAS
ABLE TO FUND AND BLEW
EVERYBODY'S MINES, YOU KNOW,
PLANETS THAT MAY BE ALL
DIAMOND.
PLANETS MADE OF TOTALLY
WATER SUR SURFACES.
IMAGINE WHAT WE'LL FIND WHEN
WE LACK ALL OVER THE PLACE.
KEPLER LOOKED AT ONE LITTLE
AREA AND FOUND ALL OF THAT.
WE CANNOT EVEN, YOU MO BEGIN
TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO FUN THE SR. FAY
OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS.
YEAH, THAT IS EXCITING PART
ABOUT THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS WHAT
WE'LL TOONED OUT IS HOW BIG
THE-NETS ARE WHEN YOU
RECEIVE THE LIGHT BEING
BLOCKED ALL YOU CAN TELL
THIS IS SIZE OF THE PLANET
COMPARED TO THE STAR.
YOU CAN HOT TELL HOW HEAVY
IS.
CANNOT TELL HOW HEAVY IS.
CANNOT TELL WHAT IT IS MADE
OF.
WHAT WE'LL DO IS GROUND
TELESCOPES TO LOOK AT THE
SAME TARGETS.
THEY LOOK AT THE PLANET'S
EFFECT OB THE STAR.
SO THIS YOU THINK ABOUT TESS
IS LOOKING AT LIGHT BEING
BLOCKED BUT WHAT THE
TELESCOPES ARE DOING IS THE
STAR IS WIGGLING LITTLE BIT
AS IT IS SPINNING AROUND AND
YOU HAVE THE PLAN THES ARE
TUG ON. IT THE HEAVIER THE
PLANET.
THE MORE IT TUGS ON THE THAT
WIGGLE IS REALLY SMALL AND
THOSE GROUND TELESCOPES CAN
QUANTIFY THE WIGGLE AND THEN
TELL YOU HOW HEAVY THE
PLANET HAD TO BE.
SO NOW YOU HAVE THE SIZE OF
THE PLANET THE HEAVINESS OF
THE PLANET AND THE DENSITY
FIGURE OUTFIT IS WATER,
SOLID OR GAS.
ITE WOULD BE PAN TASTE.
IF WE FIND SAY A DESERT PLAN
MET, THEN, THERE IS, MAIN,
WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD WE
COULD GO AHEAD, NAME IT AND
BE GOOD TO GO INTO YEAH.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
LOOKING FOR NAME YOUR
FAVORITE SCI-FI MOVIE, RIGHT
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THE
FAVORITE SCI-FI MOVIE PLANET
BUT WE'LL FIND THAT THIS IS
PROBABLY EVEN MORE DIVERSITY
THAN SCI-FI THAT THEY
THOUGHT UP AND WILL BE SEEN
FROM KEPLER THERE IS SOME
WEIRD PLANETS OUT THERE SO
THAT IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING
FORWARD TO.
>> TESS WILL LOOK
PACIFICALLY FOR PLANETS WITH
THE RIGHT MAKEUP TO SUPPORT
LIFE.
AS? STEPHANIE MARTIN HAS
MORE ON HOW SEE YOUIANTIANS
WILL USE THE TESS DATA.
>> I AM HERE WITH PAUL HERTZ
DIRECTOR OF THE ASTRO FIS
EK.
NOW, PAUL, CAN YOU TELL WHE
NASA'S SEARCH FOR LIFE IN
THE UNIVERSE AND HOW IT HAS
EVOLVED OVER TIME?
>> WELL, THE FIRST
EXOPLANETS WERE DISCOVERED
WITH THE TELESCOPES ON THE
GRAND AND IT TOOK NASA'S
KEPLER SPACE TELESCOPE TO
SHOW THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE
STARS IN OUR GALAXIES ARE
LIKELY TO HAVE FAMILIES OF
PLAN THES AROUND THEM WITH
THE HUBBLE AND SPITZER WE
WERE ABLE TO LEARN SOMETHING
ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF
WITH THE TESS SATELLITE, WE
WILL BE ABLE TO FIND PLAN
THE AROUND THE NEAREST STARS
TO THE SUN.
>> FASCINATING.
NOW WHY ARE WE SEARCHING FOR
LIFE HOO WELL, HUMANITY IS
WANNING TO KNOW WHETHER
WE'RE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE
WITH TESS, THE OTHER AS?
SPACE TELESCOPES WE CAN FIND
NEARBY EXOPLANETS AND THEN
STUDY THEM WITH LAUNCH SPACE
LIKE HUBBLE AND THE JAMES
WEBB AND LOOK FOR SIGNS OF
HABITABILITY ON THE PLANETS
OR EVEN SIGNS OF LIFE IN
THEIR ATMOSPHERE.
>> WELL, NOW YOU MENTIONED
HABITABILITY.
I HAVE HEARD THE TERM
HABITABLE ZONES.
WHAT IS HABITABLE ZONE.
DOES THAT MEAN NO CHANCE
LIFE WOULD EXIT OUTSIDE OF
THAT HABITABLE ZONE?
WELL, WE KNOW IN OUR OWN
SALAR SYSTEM.
THE EARTH IS CONDUCIVE TO
LIFE AND IT IS A ROCKY
PLANET AND VERY BALL ME
TEMPERATURE WHERE LIQUID
WATER CAN BE.
PLAB NETS LIKE MARK RY TOO
HOT AND PLANET LIKE JUPITER
ARE TOO COLD SO WE WANT TO
FIND PLANETS WITH WHICH ARE
ROCKY AND IN THE GOLDIE
LOCKS ZONE OF THE STAR WE
CALL THOSE HABITABLE PLANET
AND LOOKING FOR THOSE
BECAUSE ON THOSE PLANET WES
KNOW THAT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
COULD EXIST.
>> NOW WHAT IS NEXT AFTERS?
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS TO
FIND ZI WELL, NASA'S NEXT
LAUNCH SPACE TELESCOPE JAMES
WEBB TELESCOPE.
WELL BE A LAUNCHING THAT IN
2020 AND ABLE TO STUDY SOME
OF THE PLANETS DISCOVERED BY
TESS AND LOOK FOR THE GASES
IN THE ATMOSPHERES AND WILL
THEY HAVE GASES LIKE CARBON
DIOXIDE, METHANE, WATER BASE
OR GASES ON EARTH AND
INDICATORS OF LIFE.
AND AFTER THAT, WE'RING WITH
TO LAUNCH THE INFRARED
SURVEY TELESCOPE THAT WITH
HAVE A SPECIAL IN VIEWMENT
ON IT WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO
LET US MEASURE THE LIGHT
DIRECTLY FROM A PLAN WITHOUT
BEING OB SCURRED BY THE LIFE
OF THE STAR AND LET US TAKE
THE NEXT STEP IN THE
EXOPLANET STUDY.
NOW WHAT DRIVINGS YOU
PERCENTLY TO STUDY THE EXXO
PLANETS?
>> WELL, I THINK WE'RE ALL
INTERESTED IN KNOWING AS
MUCH AS WE CAN ABOUT THE
UNIVERSE AND WHETHER WE ARE
I LOAN IN THE UNIVERSE HAS
BEEN INTERESTING QUESTION.
IT IS REALLY FORTUNATE THAT
TODAY WE ARE AT BEGINNING OF
THE JOURNEY AND ONLY KNOWN
THERE WERE PLANET AROUND
OTHER STARS FOR 25 YEARS AND
NOW WE'RE PUTTING IN SPACE
THE KIND OF TELESCOPES THAT
COULD LET US STUDY THEM IN
DETAIL.
I THINK THE EXCITING THING
ABOUT THE TESS MISSION IS
AFTER TESS IS DISCOVERED
PLANET AROUND THE BRIGHTEST
STARS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
GO OUT IN THE BACKYARD AND
POINT AER THAN SKY AND SAY I
KNOW THERE IS A PLANET
AROUND THAT STAR.
I WONDER IF THERE IS LIFE ON
IT.
>> PRETTY SPECTACULAR.
THANKS SO ANOTHER TIME.
WE'LL GO ABOUT A BACK TO THE
STUDIO.
>> TESS' MAIN GOAL IS TO
FIND SMALL PLANETS WITH
BRIGHT HOST STARS IN OUR
SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR
SCIENTIST TO PERFORM
DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF
THE PLANETS AND OF THEIR
ATMOSPHERES.
NASA EDGE'S CHRIS MET WITH
STEVEN RINEHART OF NASA'S
GODDARD SPACEFLIGHT CENTER
TO LEARN MORE THE SCIENCE
BEHIND SPOTS POTENTIAL EARTH
SIZE PLANETS.
>> WE'RE HERE WITH THE
PROJECT SCIENTISTS FOR
TESS.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, STEVEN?
>> NO TOO BAD.
>> TESS STANES FOR THE
TRANSITING SURVEY SAT LIT
AIN'T IS NASA'S FOUR MISSION
BEING LEAD OUT OF M.I.T. AND
DESIGNED TO ACTUALLY SEARCH
ALL OF THE BRIGHT NEARBY
STARS OR NEARLY ALL OF THEM,
LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF
PLANETS, EXXO PLANET.
WHAT IT IS LOOKING FOR ARE
TRANSITS.
IT IS LOOKING ANOTHER EVENS
WHERE THE PLANET PASSED IN
FRONT BLOCKING PART OF THE
LIGHT AND GIVING AS YOU
LITTLE CHANGE IN THE
BRIGHTNESS OF THE STAR AND
TELL US THE PLAN PLAN NET
LIS.
>> ARE YOU ABLE TO DETECT
THAT TRANSIT FROM MILLIONS
OF MILES A AWAY.
WHAT WE SEE.
WITH YOU SEE THIS PRETTY UP
CLOSE.
YOU CAN SEE IT.
HOW CAN YOU SEE SOMETHING
MILLIONS OF MILE IS A BY
THIS WELL, THE TARR TRAN SIS
IT A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
WHEN YOU BE W WATCH THAT AS
YOU WATCH THE VIDEO FROM THE
OTHER HAS MISSIONS YOU CAN
SEE THE BLACK SPOT PASSING
ACROSS THE FACE.
WELL, NOUMENAL GIN IT WAS
FURTHER A.
WHAT YOU?
DON'T SEE THE SPOT ANY
MORE.
YOU CANNOT RESOLVE IT WITH
BINOCULARS OR TELESCOPE OR
ANYTHING ELSE WE GOT NOW.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IS SEE THAT
IT IS SO VERY LITTLE
FAINTER.
FOR INSTANCE YOU HAVE
JUPITER PASSING IN FRONT OF
THE SUN YOU HAVE ONE PERCENT
OF THE LYING IN THE STAR
GETS BLOCKED BY JUPITER SO
WATCHING THAT STAR CARELY
AND VERY, VERY FAR AWAY YOU
WOULD SEE THE LIGHT IS
SOMETHING THAT DROPS THEN
COMES BACK AGAIN.
NOW FOR THAT IS THE SIGNAL
WE ARE LOOKING FOR WE ARE
LOOKING FOR THE DROP IN
BRIGHTNESS AND LOOKING FOR
IT TO HAPPEN REGULARLY,
RIGHT?
IF YOU HAVE EARTH AROUND THE
SUN, ONCE EVERY YEAR, IT
WOULD PASS IN FRONT OF THE
STAR AND BLOCK THAT LIGHT.
YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THIS
REPEATED SMALL CHANGE IN THE
DIP IN THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE
STAR.
SO GIVE THAN, LOOKING AT THE
BRIGHTNESS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE
PRETTY SENSITIVE CALM AS TO
BE ABLE TO DETECT THAT DIP.
THAT RIGHTS.
>> SO YOU KNOW, I SAID
JUPITER IS ONE PERCENT.
EARTH AROUND THE SUN IS
1/100th OR 100 PARTS PER
MILLION.
>> WOW.
SO WHAT THE CAMERAS ARE
DESIGNED TO BE SENSITIVE SO
WE CAN DETECT THINGS THAT
ARE SMALL CHANGES LESS THAN
100 PARTS PER MILLION.
AND REALLY THE THING THAT
DOM NANS A LOT OF
UNCERTAINTIES THE STARS AND
CELLS.
STARS ARE NOT QUIET AT THE
TEN PARTS PER MILLION LEF
VOIL GOT THE NOISE THEN YOU
GOT THE SENSITIVE OF OF THE
CAMERAS BUT TOGETHER WE
SHOULD ABLE TO DETECT SMALL
EARTH SIZE PLANETS AROUND
THE STARS LOOK THE SUN AND
EVEN SMALLER THAN SUN.
A I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE
LOOKING AT 200,000 STARS IN
A TWO-YEAR SNIGS ARE YOU
PICK UP THOSE STARS?
ARE YOU KIND OF GOING TO A
REGION AND SAYING, LOOK
WE'LL LOOK FOR
OPPORTUNITIES?
>> SO IT IS -- IT IS A
PREDETERMINED LIST EXCEPT
WHERE IT IS NOT.
MOST OF THIS LISTS IS THERE
IS A GROUP OF THE SCIENCE
TEAM THAT WORKED ON THE
THING CALLED THE TESS INPUT
CATALOG AND THAT HAS ABOUT
3 BILLION STARS IF I HAVE
THE AM BER CORRECTLY IN IT.
WE'LL NOT LOOK AT ALL OF
THOSE.
IT IS EVERY BRIGHT OBJECT IN
THE SKY AND DOWN TO A
CERTAIN BRIGHTNESS LEVEL IS
HUGE.
BUT THEN, THERE'S THE ACTUAL
TARGET LIST.
THAT IS BETWEEN 100 AND
200,000 STARS AND THESE ARE
STARS THAT ARE SELECTED FOR
SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS WITH
TESS USING A TWO MINUTE.
THEY MASH SHORE THE
BRIGHTNESS OF THAT STAR AND
THROWS THE STARS THAT HAVE
THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD WE
ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO FIND AN
EARTH-SIZE PLANET AROUND
THEM.
SO FARES THAT ARE SMALLER IT
IS EASIER TO FIND MALLER
PLANET AROUND SMALLER
STARTINGS AND STARS THAT ARE
BRIGHTER AND SO ON.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE
ARE ADDITIONAL STARS THAT
ARE PROPOSED BY MEMBERS OF
THE GENERAL COMMUNITY
THROUGH THE INVESTIGATOR
PROGRAM AND THAT MEANS THAT
WE CAN OBSERVE OTHER STARS
WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY
VIEWED AS GREAT TARGETS BY
THE SCIENCE TEAM BUT
SOMEBODY OUT IN THE
COME MACHINE I SAID THERE IS
A GOOD TRON LOOK AT THIS
STAR.
WE WILL.
IN ADDITION TO THAT.
WE HAVE THE FULL FRAME
IMAGES SO EVERY 30 MINUTES
TESS TAKES A PICTURE OF THE
ENTIRE FIELD OF VIEW WHICH
IS 24 BY 96 DEGREES.
>> WOW.
>> HUGE.
>> WAND THAT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND A LOT
MORE PLANETS AND MOST OF
THOSE PLANETS ARE THE LARGE
PLANET AND JUPITER SIZE AND
SO ON.
BUT IT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT
TEN TIMES MAZEN NY IN THE
IMAGES THAN THE NUMBER WE'LL
FOON THE POSTER STAMP DAT
WHICH ARE FOCUSED OB TRYING
TO FIND THE SMALLER
PLANETS.
>> NOW, YOU KNOW, LACK AT
THE PHONE SYSTEM THE AVERAGE
STAR.
ARE YOU KIND OF TARGETING
THOSE TYPE OF STARS FOR
POSSIBLE EARTH LIKE PLANET
OR HAVE STARS THAT ARE MUCH
BIGGER THAT COULD HAVE
EARTH-LIKE PLANET.
>> SO FIRST OFF LET ME SAY
THAT WHEN WE SAY OUR SUN IS
AVERAGE.
WE ARE REALLY WRONG.
OUR SUN SIS USUAL FIT IS
AVERAGE IN SIZE BUT NOT
ACTUALLY ACTIVE COMPARED TO
MOST STARS AND A LOT OF
OTHER STARS OUT THERE THAT
ARE DIFFERENT SO A LOT OF
THE STARS THAT TESS WILL
OBSERVE.
THESE ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN
THE SUN.
THEY ARE MUCH COOLER THAN
THE SUN.
THEY ARE HABITABLE ZONE THE
REGION WHERE YOU COULD HAVE
ON THE PLANET IS MUCH, MUCH
SMALLER THAN YOU HAVE AROUND
THE SUN.
THROWS GOOD TARGETS BECAUSE
THEY ARE SMALLER.
THE LARGER STARS THE PROBLEM
THAT IS NOW TRYING TO FUN A
SMALL PLANET AROUND THIS BIG
STAR IS HARD SO TO GIVE A
STAR THAT IS THREE TIMES
BIGGER THAN THE SUN.
THOSE KIND OF STARS.
>> WELL, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT
OBSERVATIONS TO MAKE BECAUSE
WE HAVE NOT DONE A LOT OF
OBSERVATIONS OF THOSE LARGER
STARS LOOKING YET.
BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD.
WE DON'T KNOW HAZE THE
POPULATION OF PLANETS LOOKS
LIKE AROUND THOSE STARS.
>> FINAL TESTING OF THE TEST
SPACECRAFT WAS DONE RATING
HERE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAYLOAD
HAZARDOUS SERVICING SILLY
TY.
FRANK ARE IN FITZGERALD HAD
A CHANCE TO SEE THE
SPACECRAFT IN THE CLEAN RAM
AND TALK TO ROBERT
LOCKWOOD.
>> THE SPACECRAFT PROGRAM
MANAGER FROM ORBITING ATK
FOR TESS.
WE GO TO THE BIG BUILDING.
THIS IS A CLEAN BLOOM YEAH,
IT IS.
>> IT IS A CLEAN ROOM.
ITS THE PAYLOAD HAZARDOUS
SERVICING FA CYCLE
FACILITY.
ONCE I GET LYNN.
I WILL DID A B ROLL FOR THE
SHOW AND WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO AN
INTERVIEW.
>> OK.
>> DO I HAVE TO BUT ON A
SUIT.
YEAH, YOU DO.
ARE GOING TO GET ALL COVERED
UP.
THE MAIN SOURCE IS THE
PEOPLE SO WE'LL COVER YOU UP
IN A BEEN NY SUIT AND PUT A
MASK OVER YOUR FACE BUT YOU
WILL STILL LOOK PRETTY.
A OH.
WE ARE IN THE CLEAN ROOM.
WHAT TYPES OF TESTS OR
CHECKOUTS WERE DONE FOR TESS
IN THIS PA SILLY?
I.
>> , PRIMARILY IN THE PA
SILL TY TY IS FOR
PROPELLANT.
WE'RE GOING TO FUEL THE
VEHICLE AT 35-KILOGRAMS TO
FORM OUR ON ORBIT
MANEUVERS.
THIS FACILITY IS CERTIFIED
FOR FUELING SO THAT IS
PRIMARILY WHY WE'RE IN
THERE.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER
PERFORMANCE TESTS THAT WE DO
AND CHECK OUT AFTER IT WENT
FROM DULL THROWS HERE AND
MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WORKED
AFTER SHIPMENT AND DELOY THE
SOLAR RAYS AND WE ALSO DO A
NUMBER OF CHECKOUTS AND
CLOSEOUTS AND ONE OF THE
THINGS THEY ARE DOING TODAY
IS PUTTING THE VEHICLE ON A
HIGH STAND SO WE HAVE EASIER
ACCESS YUN ARE THE STREAK
CLOSE OUT THE PARTS ON THE
BOTTOM PART OF THE VEHICLE.
WHEN OUR PARTNERS FROM
SPACEX ARRIVED HERE WITH THE
FARINGS WE WILL ATTACH TO
THE FARING AND ENCAPSULATE
IT AND TRANSPORT IT OVER TO
THE COMPLEX 40 FOR LAUNCH.
>> WELL, AS THE PROGRAM MAN
FER FOR TESS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE DUTY.
>> WELL, MOVING THE LITTLE
PARTS AROUND AND THE
LOGISTICS FOR DONE THATS ON
SCHEDULE AND KEEPING STAFF
WORKING IN THE AREAS THEY
NEED TO AND INTERACTION WITH
ALL THE PARTNERS AT M.I.T.
AT GODDARD SPACEFLIGHT
SENATOR MAKE SURE THINGS
KEEP MOVING SMOOTHLY FOR
TOWARD LAUNCH.
>> SEE WHEN TALK ABOUT
PARTNERS.
YOU RECEIVE COMPONENTS FOR
TESS FROM ALL ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY BUT WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT M.I.T.'S THEY ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR PRETTY MUCH
THE MAJOR PART OF THE
SATELLITE.
THE CAMERAS.
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
SOL WE HAVE ONE INSTRUMENT
THAT IS COMPRISED OF FOUR
CAMERAS.
THROWS MANUFACTURED AT
M.I.T. LINCOLN LABORATORY
AND THEN DELIVEREDS TO US
FOR SPER GRATION SER BER
GRATION WAS DONE AT ORBITAL
IN DULLES, VIRGINIA, RIGHT?
>> THAT IS RIGHT.
WE HAVE A FULL FACILITY FOR
INTEGRATING ALL THE PARTS
ANTEING IT.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE
TESTING.
I KNEE THERE IS EN EVENTUAL
TESTING DONE FOR ALL
SATELLITES AND CAN YOU TELL
US ABOUT THE PROCESS THAT
TESS WENT THROUGH?
>> YEAH, SURE.
WE RECEIVED THE FOUR CAMERAS
SITTING ON THE CAMERA PLATE
AND INTEGRATED IT TO THE TOP
OF THE SPACECRAFT AND THE
FORM OF FULL OBSERVATORY
THEN WE TAKE IT THROUGH THE
SET OF COMPREHENSIVE
FUNCTIONAL TESTS TO MAKE
SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING
CORRECTLY THEN WE PUT IT ON
A SHACKER TABLE OR VIBRATION
FACILITY WHERE WE SHAKE IT
AT LEVELS THAT SIMULATE
LAUNCH ENVIRONMENTS.
WE PUT IT IN A CHAMBER TO
TEST IT FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC
COMPATIBILITY.
THEN WE PUT IT IN A THERMAL
VACUUM CHAMBER TO EXPOSE IT
TO THE HIGHS AND LOWS AND
PARTS OF ON ORBIT
ENVIRONMENT.
>> WELL, DID YOU CORNER
ANY OBSTACLES HANG ON THE
WAY OF MANAGING THIS ROOM IN
WELL, NONE TO REALLY CALL
OUT.
IT US THE TYPICAL THING WHEN
YOU PUT SPACECRAFT TOGETHER
AND IN THE FACILITY LIKE
DULLES, VIRGINIA VA, A
NUMBER OF SPACE PROSING SO A
CONTINUAL SHELL GAIN WHEN
THE PART IS READY AND THE
PART IS READY TO GOZ TON THE
TABLE FOR TESS OR IN THE
CHAMBER BUT NO OBSTACLES
THAT REALLY STOPPED THIS
FROM GETTING HERE ON TIME
AND IN FACT WE HAVE GOT
ABOUT THREE WEEKS OF SITTING
AROUND NOW SO WE'RE EARLY.
>> WELL, YES.
WHEN I WAS IN HERE SHOOTING
B ROLL.
TESS WAS UNCOVERED BUT NOW
IT IS BAGGED.
I AM ASSUMING YOU ARE PRETTY
MUCH ON THE BACK END OF
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO?
>> WE'RE.
WE ARE BAGGING IT TO KEEP IT
SAFE FOR THREE WEEKS WHILE I
LET MY STAFF GO BACK TO
VIRGINIA AND SEE THE FAMILY
AND WE'LL KEEP ONE PERSON
DOWN HERE JUST PERIODICALLY
CHECKING ON HER BUT SHE IS
GOING TO SIT THERE AND
WAIT.
BUT THEN WE WILL COME BACK
AND LEA WEEK'S TIME TALK
THING ABOUT OFF AND CONTINUE
ON THE PROCESS.
>> TESS IS ALMOST READY TO
OPEN ITS SOLAR ARRAYS OR
WHIPPINGS TO POWER THE
SPACECRAFT.
LET'S GO BACK TO JOSH AND
MIKE TO TAKE US THROUGH THE
DEPLOYMENT.
GUYS?
MARIE, THANK.
WE ACTUALLY ARE ABOUT THREE
AND A HALF MINUTES AWAY FROM
THE SECOND STAGE ENGINE BURN
NUMBER TWO WHICH IS A BURN
THAT WILL LAST A LITTLE LESS
THAN MINUTE, JOSH.
WHEN IT ENDS IT WILL PLACE
TESS IN THE RIGHT POSITION
FOR DEPLOY INTO SPACE AND
THAT IS JUST BEGINNING OF
THE JOURNEY.
WE'LL MORE INFORMATION AND
WE'LL BE BACK IN A FEW TO
FILL YOU IN ON WHEN THE BURN
TAKES PLACE.
>> A BEAUTIFUL LAUNCH.
THE WEATHER COOPERATED WITH
US TODAY.
NO CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION.
NO CLOUDS IN THE SKY.
IT WAS REALLY A BEAUTIFUL
LAUNCH.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> TESS WILL SEARCH THE SKY
FOR TELLTALE SIGNS OF
EXOPLANETS OR PLANETS
LOOKING FOR OTHER STARS.
TESS WILL SURVEY NEARLY THE
ENTIRE SKY AND WE HAVE A
VIDEO YOU MORE ABOUT THAT.
>> TESS, THE TRANSITING
EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE.
NEWEST EXOPLANET MISSION
THAT IS BEING LED OUT OF
M.I.T. AND GOING TO FIND
THOUSANDS OF NEW PLANETS
ORBITING BRIGHT NEARBY STARS
AND GOING TO BUILD UPON THE
LEGACY OF THE KEPLER MISSION
AND GOING TO FOCUS ON NEARBY
BRIGHT STARS THAT ARE SPRINKLED
ACROSS THE SKY AND GOING TO HEL
US ANSWER REALLY IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS THAT IS NEARBY
NEIGHBORS HAVE PLANETS? WE
HAVE THE FULL FRAME IMAGES SO
EVERY 30 MINUTES TESS TAKES A
PICTURE OF THE ENTIRE FIELD OF
VIEW WHICH IS 24 BY 96 DEGREES.
TESS WILL LAUNCH EACH SECTOR
FOR 27 DAYS BEFORE ROTATING
TO THE NEXT.
IT WILL COVER THE SOUTHERN
SKY IN THE FIRST YEAR.
THEN BEGIN SCANNING THE
NORTH.
TESS WILL STUDY 85% OF THE
SKY.
AN IN 350 TIMES GRATER THAN
WHAT NASA'S KEPLER MISSION
FIRST OBSERVED MAKING TESS
THE FIRST EXOPLANET MISSION
TO SURVEY NEARLY THE ENTIRE
SKY.
BECAUSE TESS' OBSERVATION
SECTOR OVERLAPPED IT WILL
HAVE THE AREA NEAR THE POLL
UNDER CONSTANT OBSERVATION.
THIS REGION IS EASILY
MONITORED BY THE JAMES WEBB
SPACE TELESCOPE WHICH ALLOWS
THE TWO MISSIONS TO WORK
TOGETHER TO FIRST FIND AND
THEN CARFULLY STUDY
EXOPLANETS EXPANDING THE
UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLDS
BEAYON OUR OWN.
>> WE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN A MINUTE AWAY ARE THE
RESTART OF THE SPACEX PAL
CON9 MERLIN ENGINE.
THIS BURN WILL LAST UNDER A
MINUTE AND IL WILL PLACE THE
TESS SPACECRAFT IN THE
PROPER LOCATION TO BE
DEPLOY MOOD SPACE TO BEGIN
ITS JOURNEY.
DEPLOYED INTO SPACE TO BEGIN
ITS?
I.
LOOKING LIVE NOW AT THE
SECOND STAGE ENGINE, AT THE
MERLIN ENGINE.
EXPECTING THE BURN TO BEGIN
IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS.
THE SECOND STAGE ALONGING
WITH THE RAN SITTING ACROSS
THE GLOBE.
HAVING PASSED OUT OVER
AFRICA.
LIQUID OXYGEN TANK BEING
PRESSURIZED FOR THE BURN.
FUEL TANK COMING UP TO
PRESSURE FOR THE BURN.
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE
STATION WHERE A TEAM OF TESS
WEIGHT INFORMATION ON THE
SECOND STAGE BURN.
EXPECTING THE SECOND STAGE
BURN MOMENTARILY.
>> AND WE HAVE IGNITION OF
THE SECOND STAGE MERLIN
ENGINE.
IT IS PLANNED TO LAST JUST
UNDER A MINUTE.
>> EVERYTHING PROCEEDING
NORMALLY ON THE BURN.
ABOUT TEN SECONDS REMAINING
IN THE BURN.
YOU CAN SEE THE RED GLOW
COOLING.
AND THE SECOND STAGE BURN IS
COMPLETE.
THE SECOND STAGE CAN
CONTINUE AS YOU CAN SEE ON
THE SCREEN THERE.
NOW WE'LL AWAY TO A VIDEO
WITH STEPHANIE PARMAR TIN
WHO IS GOING TO HELP YOU
LEARN ABOUT HOW WE FIND
EXOPLANETS AROUND HABIT
ZONE, THE GOLDIE LOCKS ZONE
STARS.
WE'LL AWAY TA THAT VIDEO
NOW.
>> I AM HERE WITH DOUG THE
PROGRAM SCIENTIST FOR
EXOPLANET EXPLORATION.
DOUG, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
ME.
>> THANK YOU FOR INVITE
MEG.
CAN YOU TELL ME WE Y WE
STUDY EXOPLANETS?
>> WE STUDY EXOPLANETS
BECAUSE WE WANT TOWNER STAN
FIRST HOW THE PLANET FORM
AND EINVOLVE AND WHAT THE
WHOLE EXOPLANET ZOO LOOKS
LIKE.
BECAUSE OUR OWN, OUR OWN
SALAR SYSTEM HAS THE EIGHT
PLANETS THAT WE KNOW OF BUT
IN FACT FINING OTHERS WE
FIND OTHER PLANETS AND THE
TYPES OF PLANETS THAT MAYBE
NOT HAVE IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
AND WE ALSO FIND PLANETS
THAT ARE RANGED DIN REP
ORDERS CLOSE TO THE SR. AND
OTHER PLANETS FURTHER AWAY
AND ALL OF THAT TELLS THE
STORY OF HOW PLANETARY
SYSTEMS COME TO BE.
THE TESS MISSION BASICALLY
USES THE TRANSIT TECHNIQUE
TO DETECT EXOPLANETS WHICH
MEANS WE WATCH MANY STARS
AND LACK FAR TINY DIN BRIGHT
THANKS OH COARSE ANY TIME A
PLANET OR BASE IN PASS FRONT
THE STAR WHEN TESS DETECTS A
EXOPLANET TRANSIT REALLY
THAT IS JUST WHERE THE
SCIENCE BEGINS.
BECAUSE THERE ARE ALSO
THINGS OUT IN SPACE THAT CAN
MIMIC OR MIGHT FOOL US INTO
THINKING THERE IS EXOPLANET
AROUND THE STAR WHEN IN FACT
SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
SO THE FIRST THING WE HAVE
TO DO IS WE GO TO GROUND
BASE TELESCOPES AND MEMBERS
TESS SCIENCE TEAM WILL BE
INVOLVED AND ACTIVE GOING TO
BROWNED BASE TELESCOPES
LOOKING AT OBSERVATION OF
THOSE TRANSITING SYSTEMS TO
KIND OF RULE OUT THES A ROW
NOM CALL FALSE POSITIVES
THAT MAY TRICK US.
>> NOW, HOW CAN "CITIZEN
KANESS" AND ASTRONOMERS LOOK
FOR THE EXOPLANETS INTO
WELL, THIS IS EXCITING.
THE NICE THING THAT'S A
GREAT THING AND EXCITING
ABOUT TESS IS THAT IT IS
GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE
NEAREST AND BRIGHTEST STAR
POSSER THE EARTH AND NOW ITS
PREDECESSOR THE KEPLER
MISWHICH DID A FANTASTIC JOB
INDIES COVERING A HUGE
NUMBER AND MOST OF THE STARS
THAT IT LOOKED AT WERE TAUNT
AND LARGELY BEYOND THE GRASP
OF AMATEURS AND SIZE
TELESCOPES.
TESS IS LOOKING AT STARS
THAT ARE GOING TO BE
BRIGHTER AND MUCH MORE
ACCESSIBLE TO GROUND BASE
AND OBSERVATIONS AND TO
AMATEUR TELESCOPES SO SIRENS
THAT HAVE A GOOD QUALITY
TELESCOPE AND ARE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO THEMSELVES
CONTRIBUTE BY CARRYING OUT
OBSERVATION OF THESE SYSTEMS
JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE
TO THEIR EQUIPMENT A.M. NOW
HOW DO THESE GET
INVOLVEED IF.
>> WELL, A NUMBER OF CITIZEN
SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES OUT
THERE THAT COULD ACTUALLY
GET IN AND LACK AT DATA AND
HELP SCIENTIST DIG OUT SOME
OF THE TRANSIT SIGNALS
BECAUSE IN THE TEST DAT
WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT
THE LIGHT FROM MILLIONS OF
STARS MORE WORK THAN THE
SCIENCE COMMUNITY CAN EVER
HOPE TO DO HEM SELF AND
REALLY BE LOOKING OR WARD TO
HELPING THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
A THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
JOINING ME.
I LOOR FORWARD TO HEARING
MORE AS YOU GOT THE DATA
BACK FROM TESS AND SUIAN
TIST ACROSS THE WORLD ABLE
TO DELVE INTO IT?
THANK.
THANK YOU.
>> BACK TO YOU.
>> WE ARE BACK ONCE GAIN
LOOKING AT THE LAUNCH
VEHICLE DAT CENTER WHERE THE
TEST TEAM AWAITS TESS DEPLOY
FROM THE SPACEX FALCON 9
SECOND STAGE ANTICIPATED IN
ABOUT 45 SECONDS.
EVERYTHING SO FAR TODAY HAS
BEEN GOING VERY WELL ON
TIME.
TESS MISSION IS JUST
BEGINNING.
BUT SO FAR, SO GOOD.
IN OR BIT TO THE PRECISE
PLACE IN SPACE FOR THE
DEPLOY.
>> AND CONFIRMATION OF
PAYLOAD DELOY.
CAN SEE THE TEST TEAM THERE
EXCITED TO SEE THE
SPACECRAFT THE PLANET HUNTER
FLYING PRE.
[APPLAUSE]
SO WITH THE SUCCESSFUL DIE
PLO OF THE TESS SPACECRAFT
THE NEXT MAJOR MILESTONES
THE DEPLOYMENT OF SOLAR
ARRAY DEPLOYMENT AND THAT IS
PECKED 8.5 MINUTES AFTER
SPACECRAFT SEPARATION, SO IN
ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES FROM
NOW.
WE'LL OF COURSE BE BACK TO
JOIN THE BEGINNING OF THAT.
THAT PROCESS WILL TAKE ABOUT
20 MINUTES TO COMPLETE.
WE'LL REJOIN IN TIME FOR YOU
TO TRACK THE DEPLOY OF THE
SOLAR ARRAYS FROM THE TEST
SPACECRAFT.
TESS WILL FLAY IN ORBIT TO
COMPLETE TWO LOOP ANCE THE
EARTH.
THIS SPECIAL ORBIT WILL YOU
A LOU TESS' CAMERA TO
MONITOR EACH PATCH OF SKY
CONSTANTLY FOR NEARLY A MNT
AT A TIME.
TO GET THIS INTO ORBIT, TESS
WILL MAKE A SERIES OF LOOPS
TO BUILD MOMENTUM THEN THE
MOON'S BRAVE WILL PUSH TOES
THE FINAL ORBIT 60 DAYS
AFTER THE LAUNCH.
HERES ANOTHER VIDEO TO TELL
YOU HOW THAT WORKS.
>> TESS THE TRANSITING
EXOPLANET SERVICE SATELLITE
IS NASA'S NEWEST EXOPLANET
MISSION LEAD BY M.I.T.
WES TILL FIND THOUSANDS OF
NEW PLANETS ORBITING NEARBY
STARS.
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, TESS
WILL FLY IN A SPECIAL HIGHLY
ELLIPTICAL ORBIT THAT
MAXIMIZES THE AMOUNT OF SKY
THE SPACECRAFT CAN IMAGE.
ONCE TESS HAS LAUNCHED IT
WILL EXPAND THE ORBIT UNTIL
IT CAN GET A GRAVITATIONAL
ASSIST FROM THE MOON.
THIS SLINGSHOT WILL MOVE IT
INTO A STABLE ORBIT AND IT
IS TIPPED AT ABOUT 40 GRUES
DEGREES THERE THE MOON'S
ORBITAL PLAIN.
TESS ORBITZ EARTH IN AXE
THERE I HALF THE TIME IT
TAKES THE MOON TO ORBIT
ONCE.
THIS FEATURE HELPS STABILIZE
THE SPACECRAFT'S ORBIT
ACINGS FROM THE MOON'S
GRAVITY.
TESS WILL SPEND MOST OF THE
13.7-DAY ORBIT OB EVERYTHING
THIS SKY.
AS IT APPROACHES EARTH, TESS
WILL ROTATE AND TRANSMIT ALL
THE ACCUMULATED DATA TO
SCIENTISTS ON THE GROUND.
OVER TWO YEARS, THIS WILL
ALLOW TESS TO STUDY NEARLY
THE ENTIRE SKY AND
POTENTIALLY FIND THOUSANDS
OF NEW EXOPLANETS.
>> SUCCESSFUL FIRST AND
SECOND STAGE BURNS HAVE
PLACED NIECE THE PROPER
LOCATION, SPACE AIN'T HAS
BEEN DEPLOYED FROM THE
FALCON 9 SECOND STAGE SOLAR
ARRAY DEPLOY AND ACTIVITY
THAT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE
ABOUT 20 MINUTES FROM THE
TIME OF SPACECRAFT
SEPARATION.
HERE AT HANGAR AE AT CAPE
CANAVERAL AIR FORCE
STATION.
TESS CONTROLLERS ARE
MONITORING THE SPACECRAFT.
REPORTING ON ACQUISITION OF
TELEMETRY AND LOOKING FOR
FOU POWER POSITIVE
INDICATIONS ARE THE
SPACECRAFT.
WE ARE EXPECTING THE
BEGANNING SOLAR ARRAY DEA
PLY ON THE TESS SPACECRAFT
IN ABOUT TWO MINUTES.
57-58 SECONDS AFTER
LIFTOFF.
AND WE ARE JUST A MINUTE
AWAY THE START OF THE SOLAR
ARRAY DEPLOY.
SPACECRAFT IS NOW SUN
FASHION.
FACING.
>> AND WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED
SUCCESSFUL DEPLOYMENT OF
WING ONE OF SOLAR ARRAY OF
THE TESS SPACECRAFT.
>> AND YOU CAN SEE CLAPPING
THERE OF THE TESS TEAM.
THE SECOND SOLAR ARRAY HAS
SUCCESSFULLY DEPLOYED.
TESS WILL SPEND THE NEXT 60
DAYS TO DO THE PRIMARY
SCIENCE MISSION TO FIND EXXO
PLANETS OUTSIDE OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
>> A VERY SUCCESSFUL DAY
TODAY FOR NASA AND SPACEX.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE TEST
MISSION, LIFTOFF THE SPACE
OF FALCON 9 ROCKET OH CORD
ON TIME EASTERN TIME.
THE FIRST STAGE ENGINE DID
ITS JOB HANDING OFF TO THE
SECOND STAGE ENGINE WHICH
PERFORMED TWO SUCCESSFUL
BURNS TO PLACES TESS
SPACECRAFT IN A PROPER
LOCATION IN SPACE AT WHICH
POINT THE DEPLOY OH CORD
FOLLOWED MOMENTS LATE ARE BY
THE SOLAR ARRAY DEPLOYS SO
AT THIS POINT, THE TESS
SPACECRAFT IS ACQUIRING
POWER TELEMETRY IS BEING
READ AND A LOT OF HAPPY
PEOPLE AT HANGAR AE WATCHING
THE BEGINNINGS OF A VERY
SUCCESSFUL TEST MISSION.
JOSH?
>> YES.
TESS THE TRANSITING
EXOPLANET SURVEY SATELLITE
IS LEAD BY THE.
I.T. TEAM.
TESS WILL FIND NEW PLANETS
ORBITING NEARBY STARS TO
KIME ACCOMPLISH, TESS FLIES
IN A SPECIAL HIGH LE
ELLIPTICAL ORBIT.
TESS WILL EXPAND THE ORBIT
UNTIL IT CAN GET TATIONAL
AINDUSTRIES THE MOON.
THIS SLINGSHOT WILL MOVE IT
TO STABLE ORBIT THAT IS TIP
LEAD TO DEGREES THE MOON TO
ORBITING PLAYING.
TESS ORBITS IN EXACTLY HALF
THE TIME IT TAKES THE MOON
TO ORBIT ONCE AND FEATURE
HELPS TAB LOSE THE ORBIT
AGANCE THE FRUG THE
MACHINE'S GRAVITY.
TESS WILL SPEND MOST OF THE
13.7-DAY ORBIT OBSERVING THE
SKY.
AS IT APPROACHES EARTH, TESS
WILL ROTATE AND TRANSMIT ITS
ACCUMULATED DATA TO SEE YOU
CRIN IS ON THE GROUND.
OVER TWO YEAR, THIS WILL
ALLOW TOES STUDY THE IN TIRE
SKY AND POTENTIALLY FIND
THOUSANDS OF NEW
EXOPLANETS.
10:00 AFTER THE LAUNCH OF
TESS SPACECRAFT, EVERYTHING
HAS GONE SO AMAZINGLY WELL,
MARIE.
THE ROCKET LAUNCH PERFORMED
WELL.
SPACECRAFT HAS BEEN
DEPLOYED.
SOLAR ARRAYS DEPLOYED WITH
THAT WE'LL TURN THINGS BACK
OVER TO YOU.
>> AWESOME.
GREET SEE THAT ALL COME
TOGETHER.
THANK YOU, MIKE.
LET'S GO NOW TO AS? EMS
FRANKLIN FITZGERALD HE IS
STANDING BY LIVE WITH TESS'
DEPUTY PROJECT MAN FER FOR
RESOURCES.
FRANK LISTEN WHERE I
UNDERSTAND IT IS A
CELEBRATORY MOOD OVER
THERE.
>> YES, IT IS, MARIE.
AND I AM HERE WITH MATT WHO,
AS SAID, IS THE DEPUTY
PROJECT MANAGER FOR RESOURCE
FORCE TESS.
MATT, YOU HAVE BEEN WITH
TESS SINCE IT WAS A STACK OF
PAPERS ON A DESK.
TODAY, YOU HAVE SEEN THE
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH.
AS MARIE SAID IT WAS A
CELEBRATORY -- IT WAS
APPLAUSE.
IT WAS ELATION GOING ON IN
THE CONTROL RAM AFTER THE
SOLAR ARRAY DEPLOYED.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
HOW YOU FEEL YOU?
>> I AM TRYING TO CATCH MY
BREATH.
SO THANKS, FRANKLIN.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS DID AN
AWESOME JOB, SO THANKS FOR
GIVINGS THE TIME TO TODAY TO
COME AND TALK AND I JUST
CAME OUT OF THE CONTROL
ROOM.
WE HAD SEVERAL ROUNDS OF
APPLAUSE.
SO FIRST WE HAD THE LUNCH
AND ALL OF US RAN OUTSIDE.
WE CALM BACK IN THEN WE SAW
THE SEPARATION.
WE APPLAUDED THEN.
THEN WE HAD TELEMETRY FROM
THE SPACECRAFT THEN WE HAD
SPACECRAFT SOLAR ARRAY
DEPLOYMENT SOME OF THE VERY
EXCITING.
IT IS JUST A SERIES OF
THINGS THAT TAKE PLACE TO
HAVE A MISSION IN ORBIT AND
BE SUCCESSFUL.
>> TELL US ABOUT THE
OPERATION AND WHAT IT
MEANS FOR THE MISSION.
>> IT MEANS FROM A
PERSPECTIVE.
TESS IS A SIMPLE SATELLITE.
THERE IS ONE AND IT IS A
MISFAST PACED SO WE TRAY TO
MAKE IT AS SYSTEM PELL AS
POS SOME THE ONLY WE HAD ON
ORBIT WERE THE SOLAR
ARRAYS.
>> NOW THE SOLAR ARRAYS USED
FOR POWER FOR THE
SATELLITE.
NOW, I ASSUME, THAT IT WAS
RUNNING OFF OF BATTERIES
MILLION THE SOLAR ARRAYS
DEPLOYED OF TELL US HOW THEY
WORKED WITH THE SAT LIT
MOVING FORWARD.
>> SO WHEN, WHEN WE ARE
UNINSIDE OF THE FARRING, THE
TEAM HAS BATTERIES THAT ARE
CHARGED UP.
WE TURN THEM ON.
WE PUT THE SPACECRAFT ON
INTERNAL POWER.
ONCE WE LAUNCH, THE BARING
SEPARATE AND HAVE TO GET THE
RAYS OPEN WITHIN A CERTAIN
PERIOD OF TIME, GET THEM
POINTED TO THE SUN AND START
CHARGING THE OWN BATTERIES.
CUE LOSE A MISSION.
FOR US IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
FOR THAT PROCESS TO TAKE
PLACE AND TO TURN ON THE
POWER ON TOES START GETTING
THE INSTRUMENTS TURNED SON
NOW WE ARE ON OUR OWN POWER
AND WE'RE FLYING IN SPACE
AND CAN'T GET ANY COOLER
THAN THAT.
>> WELL, WHAT ARE THE NEXT
MOVES FOREST? MOVING FOR
BOARD?
SO WITHIN THE NEXT FEW
WEEKS, TESS IS A LITTLE MORE
UNIQUE.
WE HAVE SIX BURNS.
TESS HAS SMALL THRUSTER ON
THE BT TIME WILL BURN IN
HIGHLY ELLIPTICAL ORBIT,
UNIQUE FOR TESS.
THEN WE'LL ACTUALLY DO A
LUNAR FLY BY AROUND
MAY 15th AND
MAY 16th AND ACHIEVE THE
FINAL ORBIT IN JUNE 16th
OR 17th.
THEN AT THAT POINT, WE'LL BE
IN FULL ON SCIENCE
OPERATION.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THE
NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS, TESS IS
GOING TO BE MAKING THE
MANEUVERS TO GET TO THE
ORBIT AND WHAT MAKES IT
UNIQUE THAT IS HOW WE GETS
THE MOST SCIENCE FROMS THAT
HE WE CAN.
>> WELL, MATT, THANK YOU FOR
GIVING US A LITTLE BIT TEF
TIME THIS EVENING.
I KNEE YOU HAVE TO GET BACK
TO WORK.
WE PATIENCE AT YOU COMING IN
AND DOING THE INTERVIEW FOR
US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU.
>> MARIE, BACK TO YOU ALL IN
THE TOAD YO.
>> THANS FITZGERALD.
WE WANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE
LAUNCH SERVICE PROGRAM
MANAGER TIM DU N INHE WHICH
IS JOSH IN THE MISSION
DIRECTOR CENTER.
JOSH, ARE YOU THERE?
>> AAM HERE.
AM HERE WITH TIM DUNN AS
WELL.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW
TODAY'S LAUNCH WENT?
>> HI, JOSH.
WOW.
ARE WE EXCITED IF I MEAN, WE
JUST HAD PERFECT COUNTDOWN
AND PERFECT LAUNCH OF THE
TESS MISSION.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL DAY.
IF YOU HAD ANY VIEW, YOU SAW
WHAT A GORGEOUS DATE WAS.
WE HAD PERFECT WEATHER FOR
THE LISTEN AND TERRIFIC
ROCKET.
THE FALCON 9 CONTINUES TO
DEMONSTRATE WHAT A RELIABLE
RIDE IT HAS BECOME.
AND SPACECRAFT WE TURNED ON
TESS SPACECRAFT EARLY THIS
MORNING AND THAT WENT SUPER
SMOOTH AND WE WORKED ONE
VERY MINOR LITTLE ITEM WITH
TESS DURING THE COUNTDOWN.
IT WAS REALLY INSIGNIFICANT
IN THE OVERALL PICTURE AND
TESS WAS REALLY SOLID DURING
THE REST OF THE COUNTDOWN.
AND THE RANGE AND HATS THINK
OF UNITED STATES AIR FORT IN
THE 45th SPACE WING AND
CONTINUE TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL
RANGE FOR US TO LAUNCH ON
AND AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A
WHOLE LOT TO TALK ABOUT AS
FAR AS TROUBLES DURING THE
COUNTDOWN.
IT WAS SUPER SMOOTH.
BEAUTIFUL DAY.
A BEAUTIFULER LAUNCH.
A GREAT ROCKET.
AND WE NOW HAVE AN
OPERATIONAL SPACECRAFT ON
THE WAY TO DO GREAT
SCIENCE.
>> TALKING ABOUT IMPORTANCE
OF THE TEST MISSION.
DAWNING ABOUT THE FROM
LAUNCH SERVICE PROGRAM.
HOW DID THE LAUNCHEST? OH,
WOW.
FOR US, IT WAS ONLY LAUNCH
SERVICE PROGRAM'S SECOND
FLIGHT ON A FALCON ROCKET.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE
DID THE JASON 3 POLICING THE
WEST COAST.
SOON THIS WAS OUR SECOND
FULLUP SCIENCE MISSION ON
PAL CON9, 1:00 OUR ENTIRE
TEAM OF ENGINEER AND
ANALYSTS WITHIN THE LSPS
WITH ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE
ANOTHER CERTIFICATION
PROCESS, WE CERTIFIED THIS
FULL THRUST VERSION OF BLOCK
4 THAT FLEW TODAY, AND,
TOONED SEE ALL OF THAT HARD
WORK FOR THE PAST TWO AND A
HALF YEARS, A THE ENTIRE
FALCON 9 TEAM WITH LSB PUT
TOGETHER TO SEE THAT
REWARDED WITH A SUCCESSFUL
LAUNCH MEANS SO MUCH TO OUR
TEAM.
AND IT IS AN INCREDIBLE
TEAM.
SPACEX HAS AN INCREDIBLE
TEAM.
THEIR ENGINEERS AND ANALYST
HERE AT THE LAUNCH SITE HERE
AT CAPE CANAVERAL AS WELL AS
THE TEAM BACK IN CALIFORNIA
AT HAWTHORNE.
MYING AHATH IS TOUGH THEM.
TERRIFIC LAUNCH TEAM.
WHEN YOU PUT US TOGETHER.
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
COMMERCIAL GUYS TOGETHER IS
JUST SO SATISFYING TO WATCH
A TEAM KIND OF SEAMLESSLY
BLEND AND INTEGRATE TO
ACCOMPLISH SUCH AN IMPORTANT
MISSION FOR THE AGENCY.
SOUPS LIKE AN EXCITING NIGHT
FOR SPACEX AND NASA AND THE
LAUNCH PROGRAM HAS BIG YEAR
AND WE GOT BIG STUFF COMING
UP, STILL.
WHAT IS SNEAKS WELL,
ABSOLUTE THERE.
SO WE WERE THRILLED TO
LAUNCH TONIGHT MAINLY
BECAUSE NOW IT KIND OF
CLEARS A LITTLE BIT OF THE
RUNWAY BECAUSE OUR ATLAS 5
TEAM NOW HAS TO TURN AROUND
AND GET OUT THOUGH WEST
COAST OR THE IN SIGHT
MISSION AND FLYING IN JUST
TWO AND A HALF WEEKS ON
MAY 5th FROM VANDENBERG
AIR FORCE BASE.
AND THEN, WE HAVE A PEGASUS
MISSION COMING UP WITH THE
ICON SPACECRAFT AND THAT IS
GOING TO STAGE OUT OF
VANDENBERG, LAY DOWN RANGE
AND LAUNCH IN MID-JUNE.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE WE'RE
TARGETING JUNE 14th.
WE COME BACK HERE TO THE
CAPE IN THE END OF JULY AND
WE'LL BE PROCESSING THE
PARKER SOLERA PROBE MISSION
WHICH IS A MISSION TO GO
STUDY THE SUN AND IT WILL BE
THE FIRST TIME LSP HAS FLOWN
A SCIENCE MISSION ON THE
DEAL 4 HEAVY.
SO THAT IS VERY EXCITING FOR
OUR TEAM.
AND THEN, IF ALL GOES
ACCORDING TO PLANNED, OUR
SIXTH AND FINAL MISSION FOR
LSP FOR 2018 WILL OCCUR IN
SEPTEMBER FROM VANDENBERG
AIR FORCE BASE AGAIN AND
THAT WILL BE THE 2 MISSION
ON THE VERY LAST DELL TALL 2
LAUNCH VEHICLE.
SO I WOULD SAY IF YOU ARE A
DELL TALL 2 FAN OUT THERE,
YOU MIGHT WANT TO FIND YOUR
WAY TO THE CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA COAST RIGHT
AROUND SEPTEMBER 12th
BECAUSE THAT IS GOING TO BE
A SPECIAL EVENT TO WATCH THE
FINAL DELTA 2 FLY.
IT HAS BEEN A WORKHORSE FOR
THE AGENCY.
AND IT IS REALLY SPECIAL TO
A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE
BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR
THE LAST 30 YEARS NOW IT HAS
BEEN FLYING.
>> WELL SOUNDS LOOK WE GOT A
LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO FROM
THE PROGRAM AND A LOT TO
LOOK FOR TO WITH THE TESS
MISSION WHICH WE LAUNCHED
YOU SUCCESSFULLY TONIGHT.
WITH THAT WE'LL SIGN OFF AND
GO BACK TO YOU MARIE.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, JOSH.
THIS CONCLUDES THE LIVE
COVERAGE OF THE SUCCESSFUL
LAUNCH OF THE FALCON 9 AND
TESS THE START AVENUE PERIOD
OF DISCOVERY FOR NASA AND
THE WORLD AS WE SEARCH FOR
MORE PLANETS AND LIFE IN
SPACE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE TESS MISSION, VISIT
NASA. GOV FORWARD/TESS.
I AMA RELEWIS FROM ALL OF US
HERE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
WE WILL LEAVE YOU NOW WITH
REPLAYS OF TODAY'S AWESOME
LAUNCH.
HAVE A GREAT MIGHT.
>> 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALLOUTS ON THE
>> 8,CTORY OF THE ROCKET.
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET.
CONFIRMATION IS CONFIRMED.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT A LIVE SHOT
OF THE SECOND STAGE. THE
SECOND STAGE ENGINE HAS IGNITED
STANDING BY FOR JETTISON
PROTECTED TESS ON THE WAY
THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE. JUST
SECONDS AWAY FROM JETTISON.
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
>> 8,CTORY OF THE ROCKET.
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET.
>> STAGE ONE. E ONE.
SPACEX FALCON 9 HAS BEGUN THE M
JUST ABOUT 45 SECONDS INTO
THE FLIGHT OF FALCON 9. JUST
OVER ONE MINUTE UNTIL THE
FALCON 9 WILL REACH SPEED AND
PASS THROUGH MAX Q, THE POINT
WHERE MECHANICAL STRESS ON THE
ROCKET REACHES THE PEAK. THE
VEHICLE IS SUPERSONIC. THE
>> 8, 7,IS SUPERSONIC.
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0. LIFTOFF
OF SPACEX FALCON 9 CARRYING
TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET.
>> STAGE ONE. E ONE.
SPACEX FALCON 9 HAS BEGUN THE M
JUST ABOUT 45 SECONDS INTO
THE FLIGHT OF FALCON 9.
VEHICLE HAS PASSED MAXIMUM
AERODYNAMIC PRESSURE. A
MINUTE AWAY. MAIN ENGINE
CUTOFF YOU WILL HEAR THE
CALL MECO THAT HAPPENS 2:30
>> 8, 7, 6, 5,T.
4, 3, 2, 1, 0. LIFTOFF OF
SPACEX FALCON 9 CARRYING
TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET.
>> STAGE ONE. E ONE.
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET.
>> 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.
LIFTOFF OF SPACEX FALCON 9
CARRYING TESS, A PLANET SETTING
SPACECRAFT THAT WILL SEARCH FOR
NEW WORLDS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYS
SPACEX COMMENTARY ONCE AGAIN
WILL MAKE CALL-OUTS ON THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE ROCKET.