Which space telescope was launched by NASA in 2009 to locate exoplanets?

The correct answer is Kepler. This space telescope was specifically designed to survey a portion of our Milky Way galaxy to discover Earth-sized exoplanets in or near the habitable zone, where conditions might be right for life. Launched in 2009, Kepler utilized the transit method, monitoring the brightness of stars and detecting changes that might indicate a planet passing in front of the star. This innovative approach allowed Kepler to identify thousands of potential exoplanets, contributing significantly to our understanding of planetary systems beyond our own.

The other telescopes mentioned have different primary missions: Hubble, for example, has focused on imaging and observing various astronomical phenomena and has been key in many discoveries across different fields of astronomy. The James Webb Space Telescope, which launched later, aims to study the formation of stars and galaxies, while Chandra is known for its X-ray observations, particularly of high-energy regions of the universe. These missions do not center on the search for exoplanets in the same way Kepler was specifically designed to do.