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originally posted in:Secular Sevens
Edited by Ric_Adbur: 8/17/2013 8:06:51 PM
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NASA Ends Attempts to Repair Damaged Kepler Telescope

[quote]Following months of analysis and testing, the Kepler Space Telescope team is ending its attempts to restore the spacecraft to full working order, and now is considering what new science research it can carry out in its current condition. Two of Kepler's four gyroscope-like reaction wheels, which are used to precisely point the spacecraft, have failed. The first was lost in July 2012, and the second in May. Engineers' efforts to restore at least one of the wheels have been unsuccessful. Kepler completed its prime mission in November 2012 and began its four-year extended mission at that time. However, the spacecraft needs three functioning wheels to continue its search for Earth-sized exoplanets, which are planets outside our solar system, orbiting stars like our sun in what's known as the habitable zone -- the range of distances from a star where the surface temperature of a planet might be suitable for liquid water. As scientists analyze previously collected data, the Kepler team also is looking into whether the space telescope can conduct a different type of science program, potentially including an exoplanet search, using the remaining two good reaction wheels and thrusters.[/quote]

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  • Edited by Euler: 8/18/2013 4:22:58 AM
    It wasn't a huge net loss; Kepler collected astronomical data on thousands of potential exoplanets and confirmed well upwards of a 100 planets in the goldilocks zones of nearby stars. Also, cut NASA some slack, it is really, really hard to fix something that is about the same distance from Earth as the Sun.

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