Era ends as Kepler planet hunting satellite runs out of fuel
Joe Latrell
March 26th, 2018
With fuel tanks low and no gas gage, the Kepler spacecraft is in the final months of operations. The planet hunting satellite was launched in March 2009 atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Station in Florida. The planned mission duration was 3.5 years but the spacecraft has exceeded all expectations and continues to function.
Kepler uses three reaction wheels to position the spacecraft as it points it’s sensors skyward looking for exoplanets and relays that data to scientists on Earth. Two of those reaction wheels have failed, the last one in 2013 ending the primary mission. Engineers on the mission team considered the problem and devised a new way to orient the spacecraft.
Read more at
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/space-observatories/era-ends-as-kepler-planet-hunting-satellite-runs-out-of-fuel/#Zc4w4FZigI4bFXYE.99
