retired Optical · United States
Kepler Space Telescope
NASA · operator profile
The mission that turned exoplanet detection from a handful of discoveries into a statistical science, confirming thousands of planets and reshaping estimates of how common planets are across the galaxy.
Facts
Launch date
7 March 2009
Primary mirror
0.95 m single mirror
Location
Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit (retired)
Timeline
Launched 7 March 2009; found thousands of confirmed exoplanets via the transit method before running out of fuel; retired 30 October 2018.
Frequently asked about Kepler Space Telescope
- Who operates Kepler Space Telescope?
- Kepler Space Telescope is operated by NASA.
- Is Kepler Space Telescope operational?
- No — Kepler Space Telescope is retired. Launched 7 March 2009; found thousands of confirmed exoplanets via the transit method before running out of fuel; retired 30 October 2018.
- Where does Kepler Space Telescope operate from?
- Kepler Space Telescope operates from Earth-trailing heliocentric orbit (retired), observing primarily in the optical range.