Kepler was launched in 2009 when extrasolar research was still a new topic.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The American Space Agency (NASA) once had a telescope called Kepler. This telescope is used to hunt exoplanets.
Exoplanets or exoplanets are planets that are outside the solar system. Each planet is named after Kepler, such as Kepler-452b or Kepler-4b, and many more.
In 2018 the Kepler Space Telescope was retired. However, this singular telescope has had a significant impact on exoplanet science and the way we think about planets outside the solar system.
Kepler was launched in 2009 when exoplanet research was still a new topic. This is different from the current which has become the main focus. The concept is to have a telescope in orbit that specifically searches for exoplanets and tries to study this world.
In achieving this ambitious goal, this mission is said to be very successful. The telescope discovered an astonishing 2,600 exoplanets in 11 years.
During the mission, there are various obstacles. The telescope had a mechanical failure during its 4 year mission and engineers had to find a solution to fix it. But they managed to get over it so the spacecraft could continue its phase 2 mission called K2.
“When we started compiling this mission 35 years ago, we didn’t know of a single planet outside our solar system,” said Kepler mission founder William Borucki, now retired from the Ames Research Center. NASA in California’s Silicon Valley, when the telescope was retired in 2018.
Exoplanet Relics
Reported from Space, Kepler ran out of fuel and went dark. Meanwhile, researchers are still trying to collect data until the last minute. This mission differs from a dramatic burn in the atmosphere.
One of the great things about Kepler is that after the telescope was retired it can still offer a wealth of information to the astronomical community. From the Kepler mission there is data that has been collected from thousands of exoplanets. This data is publicly available in the Barbara A. Mikulski Archives for the Space Telescope.
Reported from SciTechDaily, this data continues to be used in astronomical discoveries today. With this data, it is possible to estimate that there may be up to six billion Earth-like planets in the galaxy. Although the Kepler mission is no longer operational, it is very successful as a foundation for current exoplanet studies.
When the mission was suspended, NASA Science Mission Directorate associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said: “As NASA’s first planet-hunting mission, Kepler has exceeded all our expectations and paved the way for our exploration and search for life in the solar system and beyond.
“Not only does it show us how many planets might be out there, it sparks an entirely new and powerful field of research that has shocked the scientific community. Its discovery has shed new light on our place in the universe, and illuminates the mysteries and possibilities that exist in the universe. tantalizing among the stars,” he said.
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