CHEOPS mission extended to continue exoplanet-hunting in Europe.

Europe's CHEOPS spacecraft, designed to study planets outside our solar system, will continue its mission until at least 2026, with the potential to extend until 2029. CHEOPS has exceeded expectations in determining properties of several exoplanets, including the discovery of the distended, flattened shape of the gas giant WASP-103 b. The spacecraft has coped well with the rigors of space and has exciting observing opportunities left, such as discovering the first exomoon. CHEOPS plays a key role in our hunt for planets that could potentially support life.