NASA said Thursday that its celebrated planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft, which broke down in May when a reaction wheel that controls its pointing failed, could not be fixed and would never again search for planets around other stars.
The disappointing news brings to an end, for now, one phase of the most romantic of space dreams, the search for other Earths among the exoplanets of the Milky Way. NASA has already asked astronomers for ideas on how to use the hobbled spacecraft, whose telescope is in perfect shape.

Even as they mourned the end of Kepler, astronomers said its legacy would continue as they worked their way through a trove of data the spacecraft has gathered.

At last count, Kepler had discovered 3,548 possible planets, and 135 of them — some smaller than the Earth — have been validated by other observations, including earthbound telescopes. But hundreds or thousands more are in the pipeline, said William Borucki of NASA’s Ames Research Laboratory in Mountain View, Calif., Kepler’s originator and principal investigator.

NASA is scheduled to be able to start globe's primary zero-G-ready 3d images computer printer directly into place future season, through its resupply mission to the Overseas Living space Place, making sure that pieces might be built on-demand inside place. Living space creation firm Manufactured in Space's custom 3d images computer printer could be the primary product to be able to production pieces from planet earth, scientists said.
The particular three dimensional Printing inside Zero-G Research will certainly validate the capability associated with ingredient creation inside zero-gravity. "Imagine a astronaut requiring to make a life-or-death restore for the Global Area Section, " explained Aaron Kemmer, CEO associated with Manufactured in Area for the firm's site. "Rather compared to intending that the essential parts along with resources usually are for the stop already, what if the actual parts could be three dimensional imprinted if they required these people? " explained Kemmer.

Within getting ready for your 2014 release, Made in Area examined any diverse variety of 3 dimensional producing technology with zero-gravity with 2011 and is also completing more testing this year. Most of these micro-gravity testing provide the first study which given into the developments for your 3 dimensional Art print try things out.

Your 3 dimensional Printing device is built specifically to handle the environmental difficulties connected with space in addition to works by using extrusion component making, which usually develops things level by level beyond polymers along with products.