European space officials, citing a software error, postponed the launch on Tuesday less than an hour before it was scheduled to take place. The European Space Agency is continuing the search for new Earths this week with the launch of Cheops, a new telescope whose name stands for CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite. When will Cheops launch, and how can I watch it? Cheops is scheduled to launch on a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, at 3:54 a.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Dec. 17. The Hubble Space Telescope, by comparison, orbits about 350 miles above the surface, moving from west to east.

Source: New York Times December 17, 2019 05:01 UTC