. 24/7 Space News .
SPACE SCOPES
Taking The Lid Off Kepler

For the Medium resolution animation (25MB mov) please go here. For the Low resolution animation (7MB mov) please go here. Image credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
by Staff Writers
 Washington DC (SPX) Apr 08, 2009
 This artist's animation illustrates how the dust cover on NASA's Kepler telescope will be ejected. Engineers will send a command up to the space telescope to pass an electrical current through a "burn wire."

The burn wire will break and a latch holding the cover closed will be released.

The spring-loaded cover will swing open on a fly-away hinge, before drifting away from the spacecraft and entering its own orbit around the sun. (Kepler is also orbiting the sun in what's called an Earth-trailing orbit.)

With the cover off, starlight will enter Kepler's science instrument, the photometer, and be imaged onto its focal plane.

Engineers will continue to calibrate the instrument using images of stars for another several weeks, after which science observations will begin.

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
 Kepler
 Space Telescope News and Technology at Skynightly.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
 Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


SPACE SCOPES
10 Million Euro For RadioNet FP7
 Paris, France (SPX) Mar 27, 2009
 The European radio astronomy program, RadioNet, has been awarded 10 Million Euro by the European Commission under the Seventh European Framework Program (FP7). RadioNet is an EC integrating activity that brings together all the major radio observatories in Europe, covering the frequency range of 10 Mhz to 1 Thz.






SPACE TRAVEL
  • Two-time space tourist returns to Earth
  • China says NKorea has right to peaceful use of space
  • NASA inspector general resigns
  • Security Up, Movements Restricted For Top ISRO Scientists

    • MARSDAILY
  • Opportunity Brushing and Examining an Outcrop
  • Spirit Sets Distance Record For Five-Wheel Driving
  • Russia locks up six for Mars experiment
  • Russian-European Crew Starts Mars Mission

    • LAUNCH PAD
  • Europe sets May 6 for launch of Herschel, Planck telescopes
  • Russian launcher puts European telecoms satellite in orbit
  • Herschel And Planck Launch Update
  • Russia Urges North Korea To Show Restraint In Rocket Launch

    • EARTH OBSERVATION
  • NASA Goddard Orders Second Instrument For GPM Mission
  • Satellites Show Arctic Literally On Thin Ice
  • Angry British villagers stop Google maps car: report
  • Satellite Snow Maps Help Reindeer Herders Adapt To A Changing Arctic

    • OUTER PLANETS
  • The PI's Perspective: One-Third Down
  • New Horizons Detects Neptune's Moon Triton
  • The Lower Atmosphere Of Pluto Revealed
  • NASA And ESA Prioritise Outer Planet Missions

    • STELLAR CHEMISTRY
  • Active Galaxies Flare And Fade In Fermi Telescope All-Sky Movie
  • Cool Stars Have Different Mix Of Life-Forming Chemicals
  • Dissecting A Stellar Explosion
  • The Extended Region Around the Planetary Nebula NGC 3242

    • MOON DAILY
  • Earthshine Reflects Earth's Oceans And Continents From Dark Side Of Moon
  • NASA Names 16th Annual Great Moonbuggy Race Winners
  • Lunar Gardening - A Greenhouse On The Moon By 2014
  • NASA Moon Mission Brings Divergent Passions Together

    • GPS NEWS
  • Norway joins EU's Galileo satnav project
  • GPS IC Shipments Growth Slowing To 15 Percent In 2009
  • Census Workers To Verify Addresses In The US
  • Celevoke And National Equipment Combat Equipment Theft

    • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement