... Kepler s Streak . ... Credit: Ben Cooper Explanation: Streaking skyward , a Delta II rocket carries NASA's Kepler spacecraft aloft into the clear night of March 6. ... Kepler's mission is to search for Earth-like planets orbiting in the habitable zone of other stars. ... Located in the constellation Cygnus, Kepler's field of view will allow it to monitor the brightness of many stars in the solar neighborhood and detect a slight dimming as a potential Earth-like planet crosses in front of the star. ...