The Search for Exoplanets - NASA vs The European Space Agency
We are in an age where space exploration has captured our curiosity and unraveled some of the most fascinating mysteries of the universe. Here on Earth, astronomers, astrophysicists, and engineers have been working tirelessly in their pursuit of discovering planets beyond our solar system - exoplanets. In this blog, we will compare two of the most significant organizations leading the search for exoplanets - NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
NASA and the Kepler Mission
NASA has been at the forefront of studying and understanding exoplanets for more than two decades. In 2009, NASA launched the Kepler Spacecraft on a mission to survey some of the brightest stars near our solar system. Kepler's primary goal was to discover Earth-like exoplanets, which could potentially harbor life. The spacecraft has since discovered more than 4,000 exoplanets outside our solar system, with some being located within the habitable zone of their host star. These findings have changed our understanding of the cosmos and given astrophysicists and astronomers plenty to ponder about.
The European Space Agency's Cheops Mission
The European Space Agency's mission focused on discovering exoplanets - the Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite (Cheops) - was launched in December 2019. Cheops was named after the Greek god who protected sailors and was known for his keen eyesight - a perfect name for a spacecraft searching for other worlds. Cheops's goal is to significantly advance our understanding of planetary systems by characterizing exoplanets orbiting bright stars. So far, the planet hunter has discovered 5 exoplanets, and that number will only continue to grow as it continues to survey distant stars.
Budget and Funding
NASA's cryogenic Kepler Space Telescope, which was responsible for discovering a majority of the exoplanets, cost about $600 million to design and build. Launching the spacecraft added another $80 million to the project's cost, bringing the total cost of the Kepler mission to around $700 million. The expenses include operational costs over the 10-year mission, which came to an additional $200 million.
The cost of the ESA's Cheops mission was around €50 million. Although this is a much smaller budget than Kepler's mission, it is an essential step for European space exploration and the growing field of exoplanet discovery.
Conclusion
Although NASA has been studying exoplanets for decades, the European Space Agency is picking up the pace with its successful Cheops mission. Both NASA and ESA's missions have significantly advanced our understanding of the cosmos, and with future technological advancements, the search for exoplanets may not be so far from discovering life beyond our solar system.
As we wait with bated breath for the latest discovery, let us appreciate the hard work, dedication and passion of our scientists, engineers and astronauts.
References
- NASA. (n.d.). Kepler: A Search For Habitable Planets. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/overview/index.html
- European Space Agency. (n.d.). Cheops. European Space Agency. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cheops
- NASA. (n.d.). Kepler Discoveries. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/kepler/discoveries/index.html