Kepler is in an earth-trailing orbit with a period of 372.5 days, so it lags behind the Earth about a week each year. Doesn't that mean that, in about 52 years, we'll meet it from the other direction? What happens then?
Will the telescope have drifted out of Earth's path? Will it burn up in the atmosphere? Or are we hoping we'll have the means to deal with space debris as large as Kepler by then? I've been reading all the sources I can find for the past couple of days, but I can't find anything. Anyone know what NASA plans to do?
Thanks!