NASA's Kepler spacecraft is a mission that will search for Earth-like planets that could support life in the Milky Way galaxy. The Kepler spacecraft launched on March 6, 2009, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at 10:49 p.m. EST.CNN.com: Spacecraft to Blast Off in Search of 'Earths' (March 6, 2009) The Kepler mission will last three-and-a-half years.Kepler Mission FAQ's
Search for Earth Like Planets
The Kepler telescope will settle into its orbits two days after the March 6, 2009 launch. The telescope's orbit will be beyond the Earth's orbit. The telescope will then monitor about 100,000 stars at once. It will not take pictures, but will end back data about the stars' brightness, size and atmosphere.Csmonitor.com: Kepler Mission to Hunt for Planets Just Our Size (March 5, 2009) NASA is looking for planets that orbit stars at a distance that would allow for liquid water. The mission will last until 2013.Globe and Mail: The Mission: Pinpoint Other Planets Like Earth (March 6, 2009)
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Fast Facts
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Date of launch
Friday, March 6, 2009
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Launch time
10:49 p.m. EST
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Contains a special telescope that will search for Earth-like planets
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Kepler's telescope will observe stars in the Cygnus-Lyra region of our galaxyCNN.com: Spacecraft to Blast Off in Search of 'Earths' (March 6, 2009)
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Cost of mission
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Named after astronomer Johannes Kepler
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Europe's COROT telescope found the smallest terrestrial exoplanet in February 2009CNN.com: Spacecraft to Blast Off in Search of 'Earths' (March 6, 2009)
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Kepler astronomer Alan Boss said the Kepler telescope will be able to send back data that will help calculate the size, mass, temperature and other informationCNN.com: Spacecraft to Blast Off in Search of 'Earths' (March 6, 2009)
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The data would be analyzed by scientists to research possibly habitable planetsCNN.com: Spacecraft to Blast Off in Search of 'Earths' (March 6, 2009)
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