KeSeF - Kepler Self Follow-up Mission

TL;DR

The KeSeF mission proposes to observe stars in short cadence to track and correct for Kepler spacecraft drift, enabling continued high-quality photometric observations and scientific returns despite the spacecraft's pointing issues.

Contribution

It introduces a new observing strategy and software modifications to enable Kepler to perform self follow-up observations, maintaining its scientific productivity.

Findings

Allows post-processing correction of drift-induced photometric errors.

Enables continued observation of planetary candidates and other targets.

Supports recovery of original mission science goals.

Abstract

The Kepler spacecraft is currently unable to hold a steady pointing and it is slowly drifting during observations. We believe that if one has to deal with targets that drift across the CCDs, one should at least be able to track the targets well enough to correct for some -- if not most -- of the problems caused by this drift. We therefore propose to observe as many stars as possible in short cadance. We propose that at least all currently known planetary candidate host stars will be so observed, with possibly known Kepler eclipsing binaries, astroseismology targets, guest observer targets and new targets in increasingly lower priority. We also outline the modifications needed to flight software in order allow for such observations to take place, aiming to provide ample non-photometric data that should allow post-processing to recover most of the pre-failure photometric performance. In total, the KeSeF Mission will allow Kepler to follow up it's own previous discoveries in a way that is not otherwise possible. By doing so it will enable to continue pursuing nearly all the science goals that made the original mission choose staring at a single field of view in the first place.