Topic: Kepler's Search for Earth-Like Planets is Underway

[E.T.I.]

From NASA's Kepler Mission web site:

2009 May 14. Mission Manager Update - Following a successful readiness review, Kepler began its search for planets around other stars at 5:01 p.m. Pacific Time (8:01 p.m. Eastern Time) on May 12, 2009. The first of the science data are scheduled to be sent down to Earth on June 18, at which point analysis of the data by the science team will commence. While it will take years to discover any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars (regions where temperatures are right for liquid water), we expect to confirm fairly quickly the three planets known to transit, or cross in front of, their stars in the Kepler field of view. In the months ahead, we expect to begin detecting large planets that orbit their stars closely.

While it will be some time before we know if Kepler will be successful in finding Earth-like planets, the commencement of the telescope's main mission truly is an important milestone in our hunt for extra-terrestrial life.