Spacecraft are not designed to be 2-fault tolerant, so it's good that NASA engineers have been looking for workarounds and find other uses for this spacecraft.
Having said that, what is the required pointing duration for these images? Can Kepler be put into a Drift mode (disable thrusters) for the duration of an image to ensure quiescence?
I understand 2 of the momentum wheels are still functioning, which would still allow for at least 2-DOF control. Depending on the image duration and level of solar pressure/orbit perturbation forces, maybe the spacecraft could still be used for its intended duration along certain axes.
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Spacecraft are not designed to be 2-fault tolerant, so it's good that NASA engineers have been looking for workarounds and find other uses for this spacecraft. Having said that, what is the required pointing duration for these images? Can Kepler be put into a Drift mode (disable thrusters) for the duration of an image to ensure quiescence? I understand 2 of the momentum wheels are still functioning, which would still allow for at least 2-DOF control. Depending on the image duration and level of solar pressure/orbit perturbation forces, maybe the spacecraft could still be used for its intended duration along certain axes.
Wow -- Computers are writing papers about themselves! Its like an autobiography!