Image: Kepler in Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility (KSC-2009-1645)
Description: At the Hazardous Processing Facility at Astrotech in Titusville, Fla., the Kepler spacecraft awaits the next step in its processing: mating to a Delta II third stage. Kepler is designed to survey more than 100,000 stars in our galaxy to determine the number of sun-like stars that have Earth-size and larger planets, including those that lie in a star's "habitable zone," a region where liquid water, and perhaps life, could exist. If these Earth-size worlds do exist around stars like our sun, Kepler is expected to be the first to find them and the first to measure how common they are. The liftoff of Kepler aboard a Delta II rocket is currently targeted for 10:48 p.m. EST March 5 from Space Launch Complex 17 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Title: Kepler in Astrotech's Hazardous Processing Facility (KSC-2009-1645)
Credit: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=39721 (image link)
Author: NASA/Troy Cryder
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No
Image usage
The following 2 pages link to this image:
.jpg){kind=link}