The Kepler Space Telescope comes alive once more. After two
out of four wheels failed in May of this year, the space mission has been out
of commission. With a little ingenuity, the scientists believe they can get the
telescope to work another year.
The telescope needs at least three of its four wheels to
work properly. This allows them to adjust direction and hold its position
steady in order to study planets far out in space. Using the solar panels at
the sides of the telescope NASA believes that they can even distribute light
pressure to keep the telescope pointed in the right direction.
The only problem is that it can be in proper alignment only
part of the year thereby seriously limiting its mission and abilities. Senior
administrators are likely to determine the cost and benefit of such a project
for the 2014 year. However, the telescope’s costs has already been sunk into
its design, production, launch and use. It is hoped that another year of
operation will cost much less than preceding years.
At present, scientists have significant amounts of data and
they have not yet found the time to analyze it all. Through independent verification,
they believe that approximately 103 earth-like planets within the habitable
zone could exist. Further analysis of the results will help in determine if
there are others worth analyzing.
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