Kepler Mission Manager Update: Recovery Begins

Over the next week, the team will attempt tests to explore recovery of the spacecraft’s reaction wheels. The tests will begin with reaction wheel 4 on Thursday, July 18, 2013.

The team anticipates continuing exploratory tests on reaction wheel 2 on Monday, July 22, 2013 or Thursday, July 25, 2013.

Results of the wheel performance tests will be known later this month and an update will follow.

Two reaction wheels on the spacecraft have failed– wheel 2 failed in July 2012 and wheel 4 was lost in May 2013. Kepler requires three reaction wheels to control precision pointing and to resume data collection for the exoplanet search.

The team is grateful for the outpouring of well wishes and support!