COROT is a French astronomical satellite, with major participation by ESA and other European astronomers, that was launched by a Soyuz 2 rocket from Baikonur at 14:23 UT on 2006 December 27.The initial orbital parameters were period 103 min, apogee 884 km, perigee 872 km, and inclination 90 deg.
The 650-kg craft carries a 27 cm aperture telescope to scan the optical brightness of about 100,000 stars in the galaxy. Every 512 seconds, it will monitor about 10,000 stars through a set of four CCD arrays in the focal plane. Every 150 days, it aims at a different field of view, to complete the mission in 2.5 years. The brightness of a star will drop by one percent or less when a planet transits in front of it. Another cause of brightness variation is stellar, acoustic seismic waves that culminate in patches of dimness/brightness on the photosphere due to standing waves. The COROT mission provides enough information so that a future mission can distinguish the rocky (and potentially life-sustaining) planets among them. COROT is reported to be an acronym for COnvection ROtation and planetary Transit.
Alternate Names
COnvection ROtation and planetary Transit
Facts in Brief
Launch Date: 2006-12-27
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 2
Launch Site: Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), Kazakhstan