European space officials on Tuesday postponed
the launch of a three-year mission to study
planets in other solar systems shortly before it
was due to blast off.
The European Space Agency announced that
the launch from Kourou, French Guiana, of the
Characterising ExOPlanets Satellite (CHEOPS)
mission would be delayed by at least a day. It had
been scheduled for 0854 GMT (3:54 a.m. EST).
ESA Director of Science Guenther Hasinger
tweeted that “a software error in the Fregat