New work for the telescope "Kepler" will pick up in a few months - Reuters

© NASA / Kepler mission / Wendy Stenzel

MOSCOW, May 16 – RIA Novosti. The space telescope “Kepler” has lost two of the four gyroscopes – it does not allow him to retain the orientation accurately enough to continue the search for extrasolar planets, but it can perform other research tasks NASA experts say.

“To determine a possible alternative missions for” Kepler “take months to analyze scientific and technical capabilities,” – told reporters Paul Hertz (Paul Hertz), director of the Astrophysics Division of NASA.

According to the deputy head of NASA’s John Grunsfeld (John Grunsfeld), during the session on May 14 specialists found that the telescope is again in safe mode (in which he has already “dropped” at the beginning of May) and slowly rotated with solar panels oriented on the Sun. The connection was interrupted when the antenna went into the “shadow.” Engineers managed to pass at the right time to board the team for inclusion thrusters and stop the rotation. “Telemetry showed that the number four gyro does not move,” – he said.

Deputy Project Manager Charles Sobek (Charles Sobeck) added that, according to preliminary data, was damaged wheel gyro mount. For precise targeting “Kepler” there must be worked three gyroscopes out of four. Gyro number two has failed eight months ago. Scientists plan to try all the odds – they want to try again to start a second gyroscope, as well as a good “pull” the fourth.

If attempts are unsuccessful, they will upgrade “Kepler” in economy mode “free orientation.” Now the telescope is supported in position due to the engines. In this situation, the fuel on board to last several months. Free orientation mode allows to keep in touch, but not an exact guidance for the photometric measurements, it is not possible to search for exoplanets.