Following a successful readiness review, Kepler began its search for planets around other stars at 5:01 p.m. Pacific Time (8:01 p.m. Eastern Time) on May 12, 2009. The first of the science data are scheduled to be sent down to Earth on June 18, at which point analysis of the data by the science team will commence. While it will take years to discover any Earth-size planets orbiting in the habitable zones of stars (regions where temperatures are right for liquid water), we expect to confirm fairly quickly the three planets known to transit, or cross in front of, their stars in the Kepler field of view. In the months ahead, we expect to begin detecting large planets that orbit their stars closely.

So perhaps by 4 July or so we'll get the 1st announcement of newly discovered hot planets in 1-10 day orbits.