Kepler Space Telescope

• Looking for Earth-like exoplanets
• Named after Johannes Kepler
• Launched March 7, 2009
  • At the time of launch it was the largest camera system launched into space
• Part of NASA's Discovery Program
  • Small missions with a low budget
• Decommissioned in October 30, 2018
• Trailing behind Earth
  • Earth-trailing orbit
• Observes planets using the transit method
  • After it observes a planet, observations are confirmed using ground telescopes and math models

Objectives

• How many Earth size (or larger) planets are there?
• Shape of the orbits of such planets

Instruments

• Camera
  • Made out of 42 CCDs
    • Each CCD has 2200 x 1024 pixels
    • Resolution of 94.6 megapixels

Discoveries

• Observed 530,506 stars
• Discovered 2,662 new planets

Space Space Mission