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TESS Space Telescope System

TESS is a Northrop Grumman-built space telescope operated by MIT in a stable 13.7-day lunar-resonant high-Earth orbit. Four MIT-built wide-field cameras survey bright nearby stars and time-variable objects.

TESS Space Telescope System
NASA / Kim Shiflett · NASA asset; the exact NASA Images record KSC-20180213-PH-KLS01_0007 identifies this byte-matched 1280×1920 photograph as NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite being uncrated in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center and credits NASA/Kim Shiflett. NASA’s current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual, informational, or editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement. NASA insignia and identifiers, SpaceX, Orbital ATK, or other third-party marks and protected rights visible in the image, plus commercial, promotional, merchandise, or other protected-rights uses, may require separate clearance; verify before such use. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Transiting Exoplanet Survey SatelliteTESS Observatory
Family Name
TESS
Full Name
TESS Space Telescope System
Roles
observatory
Status
active
Type
spacecraft

Details

Description
TESS is a Northrop Grumman-built space telescope operated by MIT in a stable 13.7-day lunar-resonant high-Earth orbit. Four MIT-built wide-field cameras survey bright nearby stars and time-variable objects.
First Flight Year
2,018
Manufacturer
Operator
Spacecraft Specs
Reusability
unknown

Links

Official Url
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/TESS/

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 17, 2026 at 01:01:57 UTC
Updated Time
July 19, 2026 at 01:41:02 UTC
Image
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Other

Search Name
TESS Space Telescope System Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite TESS Observatory