NASA ends Kepler recovery efforts
Posted: Fri, Aug 16, 2013, 8:36 AM ET (1236 GMT)
NASA announced Thursday that it is ending efforts to restore a failed reaction wheel on the Kepler spacecraft and will look for alternative missions for the planet-hunting spacecraft. The second of four reaction wheels on Kepler, used to accurately point the spacecraft, failed in May, forcing NASA to suspend observations. Efforts to restore at least one of the reaction wheels have failed, NASA said Thursday, meaning observations of a distant star field, looking for minute brightness variations caused by transiting stars, will not resume. While engineers examine the bets way to operate the spacecraft with the remaining two wheels and thrusters, NASA is soliciting ideas for alternative missions that can make use of Kepler and don't require the same pointing stability as the exoplanet search effort.
NASA announced Thursday that it is ending efforts to restore a failed reaction wheel on the Kepler spacecraft and will look for alternative missions for the planet-hunting spacecraft. The second of four reaction wheels on Kepler, used to accurately point the spacecraft, failed in May, forcing NASA to suspend observations. Efforts to restore at least one of the reaction wheels have failed, NASA said Thursday, meaning observations of a distant star field, looking for minute brightness variations caused by transiting stars, will not resume. While engineers examine the bets way to operate the spacecraft with the remaining two wheels and thrusters, NASA is soliciting ideas for alternative missions that can make use of Kepler and don't require the same pointing stability as the exoplanet search effort.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force adds Rocket Lab and Stoke Space to NSSL contract
Posted: Sun, Mar 30 9:19 AM ET (1319 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, April 1
Sierra Space Demonstrates Resilient GPS Satellite Technology for National Security-Focused U.S. Space Force Satellite Program
Business Wire — 6:09 am ET (1009 GMT) Man who flew drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base sentenced
KSBY-TV San Luis Obispo, CA — 6:08 am ET (1008 GMT) Blue Origin prepping second New Glenn launch in ‘late spring’
TechCrunch — 6:08 am ET (1008 GMT) FAA concludes Blue Origin, Space X January ‘mishap’ investigations
Flying — 6:08 am ET (1008 GMT) SpaceX launches first crewed spaceflight over Earth's polar regions
France 24 — 6:05 am ET (1005 GMT) |
