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THE wheels are no longer turning on NASA’s search for alien Earths. The agency’s exoplanet-hunting Kepler telescope is out of action because of a problem with one of the wheels that help control the telescope’s orientation.
Kepler launched with four reaction wheels: three to control its motion along its three axes, and one spare. Last July, one wheel stopped turning. If the spacecraft loses a second the mission is over, so when another wheel showed signs of elevated friction on 7 January, the team decided to play it safe. They are resting the craft in the hope that the lubricating oil which helps the wheel’s ball bearings run smoothly around a track will redistribute itself.
Regardless of the outcome, NASA is poised to pick a successor to Kepler in the months ahead. The winner will launch in 2017.
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