NASA ’s venerable Kepler outer space telescope , which hear nearly 2,700 exoplanets in removed whiz systems , has officially been retired after ultimately run out of fuel , the space agency wrotein a statementon Tuesday . When it launched in 2009 , it was equip with “ the prominent digital camera outfitted for KO’d space observations at that prison term , ” NASA wrote , and scientist on Earth had very limited noesis of planets beyond the reach of the solar system .
Despite a malfunctioning steering system and dwindle away hydrazine fuel level , the $ 600 million spacecraft stayed in action at law fornine yearsand 19 reflection crusade — far longer than its original four - twelvemonth mission . Per the Verge , Kepler is now awaiting a instruction sometime in the next two hebdomad that will deactivate its vector and other instruments . After that , it will drift silently in a safe orbit trailing the Earth ( at a distance of94 million milesin March 2018 , though this will proceed to increase over time ) .
commission scientists worry that the spacecraft may have been irreparably rendered uneffective after the guidance malfunction in 2012 , though they finally fare up with aningenious solution in 2013using press generated by the sun ’s rays to compensate for a conk out chemical reaction rack and shoot for it at observation targets . This solution did not restore full functionality — Kepler could afterward only aim itself for around83 daylight at a time — but it did make it possible to start another phase of operations .
It also experience problems with one of its thruster around the time it get down its 19th notice cause in later August 2018 and go into sleep mode , though NASA was able to bring it back online in September .
“ One of the eight thrusters had register undependable performance , but the team estimated that simply get rid of the pusher from function during preciseness pointing firings could result in acceptable system performance , ” Alison Hawkes , a NASA Ames Research Center spokesperson , told SpaceNewslast calendar month . “ As a issue , the changes were made and Campaign 19 was , as it were , joined in progress . ”
The craft has more or less been running on smoke in late month . harmonise to Space.com , mission force confirm that its reserves were spend as of two weeks ago .
“ As NASA ’s first planet - hunting mission , Kepler has wildly exceeded all our expectations and pave the way for our exploration and search for aliveness in the solar system and beyond , ” Thomas Zurbuchen , the associate administrator of NASA ’s Science Mission Directorate in DC , said in the NASA statement . “ Not only did it show us how many planet could be out there , it sparked an entirely unexampled and robust playing area of research that has taken the scientific discipline community by storm . Its discoveries have shed a new light on our place in the universe , and illuminated the tantalizing mysteries and possibilities among the star . ”
“ Now , because of Kepler , what we think about the universe has modify , ” NASA astrophysics division conductor Paul Hertz told the Verge . “ Kepler opened the logic gate for the geographic expedition of the cosmos . ”
The scope ’s successor , the far more powerful Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite ( TESS ) , launched in April 2018 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is design to discoverover 20,000 new exoplanets . Eventually , TESS itself will be joined by the James Webb Space Telescope , which despite beingkind of a mess right nowis guess to launch in 2021 .
Goodbye , Kepler . And though you may be roll in the dark X of zillion of miles off from your homeworld , you showed that the existence may not be so unfrequented , and your contribution will not be leave . And who knows ? Maybe one day , someone will come find you .
[ NASA ]
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