London, May 16 (ANI): The planet-hunting space telescope Kepler has been hobbled by a broken wheel, NASA scientists have revealed.
Two of four reaction wheels are now faulty. At least three are needed to orient the telescope correctly, the BBC reported.
"I wouldn't call Kepler down and out just yet," NASA administrator John Grunsfeld said, adding scientists were working on the problem.
Kepler was launched in 2009 and last month identified two distant planets that NASA said could be habitable.
So far, the 600-million-dollar mission has identified 132 "exoplanets" outside our solar system, and another 2,700 possible candidates.
Last July one of the spacecraft's four reaction wheels broke down, leaving scientists aware that a further failure was likely and would prevent the telescope operating as it should.
In a statement, NASA said the problem had been detected on Tuesday, when the telescope went into a pre-programmed "safe mode" which kicks in "if the observatory has trouble knowing where it should point", Grunsfeld said.
The team's priority now is to put the craft into "Point Rest State" - reducing fuel consumption so the craft has enough left to last months or years, giving scientists the time to decide how to proceed. (ANI)
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