Ball Completes Kepler Mission Milestones

[09-28-07 – Satellite Today]  Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has completed the precision coating process for the Kepler Mission’s primary mirror and the integration of the detector array assembly, the company announced Sept. 25.

These actions allow the Kepler mission to begin integration and test on the photometer telescope and focal plane array assembly.

Kepler, which is scheduled for launch in February 2009, will use a large, lightweight mirror and telescope to measure the brightness of 100,000 stars in a search for Earth-size planets around stars in our galaxy.