Millions Of Earths
Posted on 29. Aug, 2009 by flyingeraser in Kepler
Kepler is over 10,000,000 miles from Earth and continues in its drift away, heliocentric orbit. The Kepler team has just completed another science data download from the spacecraft. The operation involved all of the NASA Deep Space Network sites. Science data collected since early July by Kepler were included in the download. This was also the first time that the Canberra Deep Space Network was used for a science data download since Kepler science operations began on May 12, 2009.
Additionally, another Kepler first was achieved in this science data download. The Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) supported Kepler in a shadow-track mode, while the Canberra Deep Space Network site was supporting science data download operations. The ATCA could be used as a possible back-up to the Canberra site in the future for Kepler science operations.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/Kowch737