Kepler K2
NASA's Kepler spacecraft, launched in 2009 on a mission to search for exoplanets, is in a safe mode amid concerns the spacecraft may be finally running out of fuel. Credit: NASA

WASHINGTON — NASA’s Kepler spacecraft is back in operation despite a problem with one of its thrusters and low fuel levels that may soon bring the mission to an end.

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Jeff Foust writes about space policy, commercial space, and related topics for SpaceNews. He earned a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree with honors in geophysics and planetary science...