A BROKEN planet-finding telescope is to remain crippled in space after scientists gave up attempts to restore it to full working order.
The news was announced by the American space agency NASA, which is looking to see what can be salvaged from the Kepler space telescope.
Kepler, which cost STG395 million ($A680.62 million), was launched in March 2009 with the chief aim of searching for Earth-sized planets that might support life.
It has proved one of Nasa's most successful missions, delivering a mass of data on planets orbiting distant stars which is still being studied.
From the observations analysed so far scientists have confirmed the existence of 135 new exoplanets and identified more than 3500 candidates.
Several of these worlds are "super-Earths" with up to 10 times the Earth's mass situated in "habitable zone" orbits where conditions may be suitable for life.
In November last year, Kepler completed its primary mission and began a four-year extended mission.
The telescope detects planets by measuring the tiny dip in light output when an orbiting object passes in front of a star.
But now two of the four spinning gyroscope-like wheels used to position the telescope with the incredible level of precision required have failed.
Efforts to get at least one of the "reaction wheels" working again have failed. Kepler needs at least three functioning wheels to keep it completely still while it searches for small Earth-sized exoplanets.
The NASA team is now investigating whether Kepler can conduct a more limited science program using its remaining reaction wheels and thrusters.
Meanwhile scientists are continuing to sift through the wealth of information already collected, which they hope will yield hundreds or even thousands of discoveries.
"At the beginning of our mission, no-one knew if Earth-size planets were abundant in the galaxy. If they were rare, we might be alone," said Dr William Borucki.
"Now at the completion of Kepler observations, the data holds the answer to the question that inspired the mission. Are Earths in the habitable zones of stars like our Sun common or rare?"
The Kepler scientists have not yet spotted a truly Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. They hope evidence of such an Earth twin is waiting to be discovered in the huge amount of data from the space telescope.
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