3 ms·
It worked for 9 years and 7 months, whilst being planned to operate for 3,5 years, so beyond it's expected lifetime then.
by irdc 5y ago
It worked for 9 years and 7 months, whilst being planned to operate for 3,5 years, so beyond it's expected lifetime then.
- WalterBright 5y agoAnd it would have worked for longer if it didn't depend on the fuel! BTW, I doubt there's enough experience with space hardware to accurately predict it's life, especially since each machine is a one-off.
- rcxdude 5y agoIt would have lasted a lot longer if its reaction wheels hadn't failed. That was the main failure which shortened its remaining operation.
- WalterBright 5y agoYou'd need at least 3 wheels to orient the craft. I bet that 4 wheels would be able to survive the failure of one.
- ddalex 5y agoKepler had 4 wheels, with 2 failing