Kepler planet-hunting space telescope's 'blockbuster' mission comes to end
Source: NBC News
The most prolific planet-hunting machine in history has signed off.
NASA's Kepler space telescope, which has discovered 70 percent of the 3,800 confirmed alien worlds to date, has run out of fuel, agency officials announced today (Oct. 30). Kepler can no longer reorient itself to study cosmic objects or beam its data home to Earth, so the legendary instrument's in-space work is done after nearly a decade.
...snip...
"Kepler has taught us that planets are ubiquitous and incredibly diverse," Kepler project scientist Jessie Dotson, who's based at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, told Space.com. "It's changed how we look at the night sky."
Today's announcement was not unexpected. Kepler has been running low on fuel for months, and mission managers put the spacecraft to sleep several times recently to extend its operational life as much as possible. But the end couldn't be forestalled forever; Kepler's tank finally went dry two weeks ago, mission team members said during a telecon with reporters today.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/kepler-planet-hunting-space-telescope-s-blockbuster-mission-comes-end-ncna920186
= new reply since forum marked as read
"It's from that warlike planet whose important nation is ruled by that Trump creature."
"Ah. Shut it off then."
