K2 Mission

The K2 Mission was a NASA space telescope mission that followed the original Kepler mission to discover Earth-sized planets outside our solar system. After Kepler's primary mission ended due to mechanical issues, K2 used the spacecraft's remaining functionality to perform targeted, longer observations of different regions of the sky. This approach enabled scientists to find new exoplanets, study stars, and explore a variety of cosmic phenomena. Operating from 2014 to 2018, K2 expanded our understanding of planetary systems and contributed valuable data to astrophysics, all while demonstrating innovative use of the telescope's capabilities despite technical challenges.