The telescope 'Kepler' can no longer search for planets like Earth ... - The Mundo.es

‘planet hunter’ can no longer continue to seek Earth-like worlds. NASA has reported that definitely stops attempts to solve the faults in the space telescope ‘Kepler’, and that, therefore, it is impossible to continue its mission to search for evidence of the existence of Earth-like planets outside our Solar System.

“After months of analysis and testing, the Kepler space telescope team ends its attempts to restore the full functioning of the device, and is now considering what possible investigations can be carried out in its present condition,” reported U.S. space agency.

In May, NASA reported the detection of a “glitch” in the steering system of the device, which had lost control of two of its four rotors, used to stabilize the telescope and adjust the direction of their lenses. The probe orbits the Sun at 64,000 million kilometers from Earth.

technicians efforts “have failed” , the space agency said, recalling that three rotors need to carry out the research work of “exoplanets” (planets outside the solar system).

‘extraordinary discoveries’

“‘Kepler’ has made extraordinary discoveries to find exoplanets, including several super-Earths in the habitable zone. Upon learning that Kepler has successfully collected information from its primary mission, I am confident that more exciting discoveries are on the horizon” said John Grunsfeld, deputy director of NASA’s Science Mission in a press release.

On August 8, the engineers returned to test the operation of the telescope and determined that the rotor is damaged , so it is impossible to “get back to where photometric accuracy that guarantees high precision. “

therefore returned it Safe Mode Controlled Propulsion, which is “safe” but they can not handle their lenses from the operations center.

‘Kepler’, which monitors more than 150,000 stars in search of planets or planet candidates, has been a most successful recent missions of NASA. The data collected by Kepler have confirmed 135 exoplanets and about 3,500 candidates to be .

was released in 2009 in search of evidence of the existence of Earth-like planets or where conditions are middle temperature where liquid water could exist.

With a budget of $ 600 million, was expected to conclude its mission in late 2012, but was was extended for two years until September 30, 2016.