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Record breaker! Briefcase-size satellite spots alien planet
By Mike Wall an hour ago
Small satellites may soon start making big contributions in exoplanet science.
A satellite the size of a briefcase successfully detected an alien world, potentially paving the way for a future network of tiny planet-hunting spacecraft.
The Arcsecond Space Telescope Enabling Research in Astrophysics (ASTERIA) cubesat, which was deployed into Earth orbit from the International Space Station in November 2017, spotted the exoplanet 55 Cancri e, a new study reports.
The little cubesat didn't discover some previously unknown world. 55 Cancri e, a scorching-hot planet about twice the size of Earth that lies 40 light-years from our solar system, was first found in 2004.
Indeed, ASTERIA team members targeted 55 Cancri e as a way to test the abilities of their spacecraft, a technology demonstration designed to show that small satellites can make significant contributions to exoplanet research.
More:
https://www.space.com/cubesat-alien-planet-detection-55-cancri-e.html
