Stellary Starry Universe

 

Although the main payload onboard the Kepler spacecraft consists of instruments to detect other worlds, a second package reminds anyone who may intercept the craft millennia from now of the hopes of the generation that launched it.

Chris Hall, from Virginia, noted that “This mission serves to expand our exploration of two of humanity’s deepest questions—are there other worlds out there like our own, and if so, are there other entities who may be seeking knowledge of us?”

Source: Space.com – click here for full article

 

 

In a night launch of stunning beauty, NASA’s Kepler spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral on Friday night, March 6th, on a mission to find Earth-like planets circling other stars.

March 6, 2009: NASA’s Kepler mission successfully launched into space from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II at 10:49 p.m. EST, Friday. Kepler is designed to find the first Earth-size planets orbiting stars at distances where water could pool on the planet’s surface. Liquid water is believed to be essential for the formation of life.

“It was a stunning launch,” said Kepler Project Manager James Fanson of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. “Our team is thrilled to be a part of something so meaningful to the human race — Kepler will help us understand if our Earth is unique or if others like it are out there.” [...]

Source: Nasa Science – click here for full article