The telescope detection of exoplanets is out - Le Nouvel Observateur

END. Monday, May 14, 2013, in an attempt to contact for verification engineers at NASA realized that the Kepler space telescope was out of service due to a problem with its positioning system. At a press conference, NASA said that until Wednesday, May 15, all attempts to regain control of the Space Telescope failed. Indicating that the Kepler mission detection of exoplanets was therefore suspended indefinitely.

“Once these instruments fail, it is very difficult to go back ,” Roger Ferlet, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris

Asked by

Science and Future , Roger Ferlet, head of the research group on exoplanets at the Institute of Astrophysics in Paris (IAP) said that the problem lies in the “ called reaction wheels. They are the ones that guide the satellite so as to accurately point the telescope in the desired direction. Initially, Kepler has four of these wheels and we need at least three for the guide. “ Now Kepler has already lost last year the use of one of these wheels also called gyros. Skeptical about the chances of this problem, the scientist said that “Once these instruments fail, it is very difficult to leave. And we obviously can send anyone there. “, it does not have to rely on a spacewalk to fix

ING E ENGINEERS. If all other instruments work, including optical capabilities of the telescope, Kepler began in “safe” mode to use minimum energy while giving time for engineers to find a solution. Roger explains that Ferlet “the chances are pretty slim to leave, but the engineers are very strong and can always find solutions. I remember the FUSE satellite which had experienced the same problem (May 2008) and solution was to use the magnetic field of the Earth on a metal bar present in the satellite to act on thereof. Thus, we managed to point the telescope in certain directions. Not everywhere, but it worked. “

Kepler mission was to search for sisters planet Earth that could harbor life in our galaxy

Launched in 2009 by NASA’s Kepler mission was to search for planets sisters of the Earth that could harbor life in our galaxy. The researcher explains that the telescope peered “150 000 stars permanently in constellations Lyra and Cygnus for a long time to make a very precise photometry. Identifying and planets when they pass in front of their star. “ Astronomers detect exoplanets by measuring the decrease in brightness of the star when the planets pass by. Operation that requires thorough understanding of the orientation of the telescope.

DATA E ES. For the researcher this failure “does not change anything for us on the ground. Because we still have a lot of data to analyze. “ Indeed, NASA speaks of four years of work to study the 2740 candidate planets under confirmed exoplanets. To date there are only 132 actually confirmed.

Roger explains that

Ferlet “confirm the planets, it means that they must be re-observed with ground-based telescopes that make spectroscopy. This detection method is much more difficult to implement. Especially the stars that are followed are rather low and therefore it takes a long time. And the best telescopes in the world in this field in Europe and particularly in France at the observatory of Haute-Provence. “ This is also he who, in April, had discovered the two most promising for exoplanets exobiologistes looking for extraterrestrial life: Kepler 62-e and Kepler 62-f <. / p>

If data collection seems to be ending, Bill Borucki, chief scientist of NASA’s Kepler mission has emphasized the Twitter account of the agency: “The best discoveries of Kepler are still come, this mission is not over! “

Hugo Jalinière, Sciences et Avenir, 5/16/13

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