Ever since scientist started looking deep into space. The universe got a whole lot bigger than we expected. Moreover, even now it’s beyond our imagination. In this endeavor, NASA’s Kepler telescope has helped hunt down many planets in outer space. However, now the Telescope Kepler is running out of fuel.
What is NASA planning on doing?
NASA is putting the telescope into a “hibernation-like” state. The space agency is also preparing to download the data that Kepler has collected in its latest observation campaign.
NASA said, “The Kepler team is planning to collect as much science data as possible in its remaining time and beam it back to Earth before the loss of the fuel-powered thrusters.”
“It’s like trying to decide when to gas up your car. Do you stop now? We want to stop collecting data while we’re still comfortable,” it added.
What does the Telescope Kepler do?
From 2009 after it’s launch. Kepler is some 94 million miles away from Earth.
So far, it has continuously monitored over 150,000 stars and discovered over 4,600 potential planets and exoplanets, according to data provided by NASA.
Kepler’s primary aim is to learn more about the number of planets in our galaxy, mostly the Cygnus-Lyra region.
So far the Telescope has sent many amazing pictures of Stars, Planets. Which is beyond our reach at the time. It has helped scientists to not only find them. However, also to keep continues eyes on them.
NASA reports that original Kepler mission identified 2,244 candidate exoplanets with 2,327 of them confirmed. Kepler’s K2 phase resulted in 479 candidates exoplanets and 323 established. So, most of the exoplanets we know of are courtesy of this one spacecraft (we know of around 4,000 total). When K2 began, NASA only expected it to complete ten observational campaigns, but it’s managed 17 so far.
As Kepler reached the end of its mission, NASA already has another planet-hunting telescope in space. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) launched in April and will begin returning data soon. Even as Kepler winds down, its deep-space replacement is winding up to take over and expand on its mission.