upper stage” of the Soyuz rocket was responsible
for the postponement.
“With this complex mission, we will not take
any risks,” he added, advising people to “keep
fingers crossed for (a launch) tomorrow” at the
same time.
Europe’s Arianespace, which has been operating
Russian Soyuz rockets from Kourou since 2011,
said during the countdown that “the Soyuz
launcher’s automated sequence was interrupted
at 1 hour 25 minutes before liftoff.” The launcher
was put into a safe standby mode, it added.
“The new target launch date will be announced
as soon as possible,” the agency said in
a statement.
The mission will focus on 100 of the more than
4,000 extrasolar planets — ones beyond our
own solar system — discovered so far, partly
to determine if there’s a possibility of an Earth-
like planet capable of sustaining life, Swiss
astronomer and Nobel Physics Prize winner
Didier Queloz, who heads the CHEOPS science
team, told The Associated Press.
“We are one planetary system among many,” he
said. “It’s all about our place in the universe and
trying to understand it.”
A space telescope will analyze the exoplanets’
densities and radii and determine whether they
have atmospheres, Queloz said.
“We know nothing, except that they are there,”
he said.
Once in place, the telescope will focus on bright
stars to determine the size of exoplanets as they
pass in front of their host star.
Image: M. Pedoussaut