METRICSCOMPLETED
Target SectorExoplanet Detection
Vessel TypeKepler Space Telescope
Budget Allocation$600 Million
Deployment DateMarch 7, 2009
Decommission DateOctober 30, 2018
SYSTEM_DOWNLINK_STATUS
Telemetry feedback streams remain stable. Flight vector alignment satisfies navigational presets. Signal attenuation remains within optimal parameters.
Kepler-Prime
The mission that revolutionized astrobiology by pointing a high-precision photometer at the Cygnus-Lyra constellations to monitor 150,000 stars for planetary transits.
PRIMARY_ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Discovered over 2,600 confirmed exoplanets, proving planets outnumber stars in our galaxy.
MILESTONE_TIMELINE_SERIES
YEAR // 2009
Launched into Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit.
YEAR // 2010
Released first batch of candidate planetary signals.
YEAR // 2013
Reaction wheels failed; mission re-engineered as K2 'Second Light'.
YEAR // 2018
Decommissioned after running out of thruster fuel.