Kepler Suffers Malfunction

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Kepler Suffers Malfunction

Kepler Mission Manager Update

At our semi-weekly contact on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, we found the Kepler spacecraft once again in safe mode. As was the case earlier this month, this was a Thruster-Controlled Safe Mode. The root cause is not yet known, however the proximate cause appears to be an attitude error. The spacecraft was oriented with the solar panels facing the sun, slowly spinning about the sun-line. The communication link comes and goes as the spacecraft spins.

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[GirlfromOz]

Nasa's Kepler telescope failure is not the end of searching for another Earth

Even if Nasa's Kepler space telescope is coming to the end of its mission, the search for other Earths will continue

Source: The Guardian

Edited May 18, 2013 by Waspie_Dwarf
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[ShadowBoy86x]

nooooooooooooooooooooooo

[ancient astronaut]

Next the conspiracies will start, they saw Nibiru blah,blah,blah.

[Collateral Damage]

"they saw Nibiru," my day is made hahahh

[Grandpa Greenman]

Bummer

[Allterspace]

I think big brother's older brother didn't like him looking into his bedroom window from a million miles away. Sent a microwave and fried his toy telescope!

[Lex540]

coolest tech but lamest excuse guys surely u can do better than this

[bigjonalien]

My name is on that craft with my kids as well can't wait for it to come down so I can visit it in the smithzonion and see our names;)

[Sundew]

I have no idea of the altitudinal orbit of the telescope, but it's a shame that we are still not flying the Space Shuttle if it is within reach, after all they managed to repair the Hubble.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I have no idea of the altitudinal orbit of the telescope, but it's a shame that we are still not flying the Space Shuttle if it is within reach, after all they managed to repair the Hubble.

It's not in Earth orbit, it's in a 372.5 day "Earth trailing," solar orbit, so it would have been well out of reach of the shuttles.

[Paranomali]

Ah this really made me feel sad. They better fix it!

[NatureBoff]

The same mystery force which gives the Earth's flyby 'equatorial extra acceleration anomaly' could also be responsible for the extra frictional effects on the wheels. Worth considering for such a potential loss. Fantastic work and congratulations NASA and the team for a job well done. Finger's crossed for a full recovery.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

The same mystery force which gives the Earth's flyby 'equatorial extra acceleration anomaly' could also be responsible for the extra frictional effects on the wheels. Worth considering for such a potential loss. Fantastic work and congratulations NASA and the team for a job well done. Finger's crossed for a full recovery.

Why would it be worth considering a "mystery force" when wear and tear on moving parts which have been in service for over 4 years whilst designed for only 3.5 years is a much more likely answer?

NASA's (who prefer to use data, logic and science rather than guess work and pure fantasy to come to their conclusions) have concluded that "there has been an internal failure within the reaction wheel, likely a structural failure of the wheel bearing."

No need to go off into the realms of fantasy for this one.

[Capt Amerika]

The Greys realized we were just about to discover their home world and shut it down.

NASA has the transmissions but wont release them.

[NiteMarcher]

Why did NASA invest 500 to 600 million for the Kepler telescope which would only last up to 3.5 years? I guess the military industrial complex willingly looks for ways to keep sucking up the tax payers money. With that kind of money invested, it should be lasting a good 20 yrs. plus. Could this have initially been planned some 3.5 years ago, in hopes that NASA during these economically harsh times could once again extend their hands out for another 600 million?

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Why did NASA invest 500 to 600 million for the Kepler telescope which would only last up to 3.5 years?

Because that's how much missions like this cost. You can't just buy space telescopes off the shelf. They take years of planning, designing and building. Each component has to be individually made and tested.

The $500-600 million compares well with other high-tech projects when you consider that the price includes design, development, manufacture, launch costs ($51 million alone), operational costs and the costs of the data processing. Compare that to the B2 stealth bomber which has cost total programme cost of $2.13 billion per aircraft {Source: wiki)

I guess the military industrial complex willingly looks for ways to keep sucking up the tax payers money.

Keep guessing, you might get something right eventually,

With that kind of money invested, it should be lasting a good 20 yrs. plus.

Care to enlighten us with your evidence to support this or is it just another guess?

Could this have initially been planned some 3.5 years ago, in hopes that NASA during these economically harsh times could once again extend their hands out for another 600 million?

This doesn't even qualify as a guess, it's just nonsensical drivel.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Waspie_Dwarf

[NiteMarcher]

Because that's how much missions like this cost. You can't just buy space telescopes off the shelf. They take years of planning, designing and building. Each component has to be individually made and tested.

The $500-600 million compares well with other high-tech projects when you consider that the price includes design, development, manufacture, launch costs ($51 million alone), operational costs and the costs of the data processing. Compare that to the B2 stealth bomber which has cost total programme cost of $2.13 billion per aircraft {Source: wiki)

Keep guessing, you might get something right eventually,

Care to enlighten us with your evidence to support this or is it just another guess?

This doesn't even qualify as a guess, it's just nonsensical drivel.

I really don't think wasting tax payer's money should be considered as nonsensical drivel....when infrastructure such as highways, school buildings, etc. throughout the entire US is slowly falling to pieces under our feet. We have Social programs for the elderly, for children at risk etc. We need to take care of what's going on back here on our own soil with tax payer's money...not take care of what's going on in outer space...this is reality!

[Waspie_Dwarf]

I really don't think wasting tax payer's money should be considered as nonsensical drivel....when infrastructure such as highways, school buildings, etc. throughout the entire US is slowly falling to pieces under our feet. We have Social programs for the elderly, for children at risk etc. We need to take care of what's going on back here on our own soil with tax payer's money...not take care of what's going on in outer space...this is reality!

If you consider science and exploration a waste of money then fine, start a topic on it rather than taking this one off topic.