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NASA Begins Hunt for Earth-Like Planets

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 5, 2009 7:20 PM CST

(Newser) – NASA will launch its Kepler space telescope tomorrow on a 3-year mission to look for planets as habitable to life as Earth, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Kepler will use a sophisticated digital camera, 10 times more sensitive than consumer models, to survey distant stars for orbiting planets with just the right credentials. “It’s quite an exciting time to be alive,” one scientist said.

Kepler will stare at the same patch of 100,000 stars during its mission. Even if it doesn’t find anything, that’s something. “It will mean that Earths must be very rare,” the mission leader said. “We may be the only extant life.” The $591 million is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral tomorrow night.

Saturn's moon Enceladus is seen here as a white disk across the unilluminated side of Saturn's rings.
Saturn's moon Enceladus is seen here as a white disk across the unilluminated side of Saturn's rings.   (AP Photo)
This artist's rendition provided by NASA shows the Kepler space telescope.
This artist's rendition provided by NASA shows the Kepler space telescope.   (AP Photo)
The lens of the Kepler space telescope.
The lens of the Kepler space telescope.   (AP Photo)
This image provided by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the striking details of the famed planetary nebula designated NGC 2818.
This image provided by the Hubble Space Telescope shows the striking details of the famed planetary nebula designated NGC 2818.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
riffran
Mar 7, 2009 2:31 AM CST
Hey jaron....look up .M2P2 propulsion...and there are some related propulsion concepts..involving an ionized gas, intense magnetic feilds, to derive thrust...or ion propulsion also.....its a start....they have the most potential so far.......but it takes a while to get up to speed, and slowing down after is a bit of an issue....(fuel capacity issues )...but it's still better than the old fashion chemical rocket thrusters
Rob
Mar 6, 2009 4:25 AM CST
We are doing that too. NASA is busy. Let's hope they can get busier.
riffran
Mar 6, 2009 1:18 AM CST
I wonder if they will find "Dr. Frankenfurter"....*singing*...lets do the time warp ....yeahhhhhh.........It's just a jump to the left......

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