Kepler is NASA's first mission capable of detecting Earth- size and perhaps smaller planets in the habitable zone of solar like stars. The mission was launched on March 6, 2009 and after two months of commissioning has been taking data.  The first published result from HAT-P-7b demonstrates that Kepler's performance requirement has been met.  Extensive ground-based follow-up observations are necessary prior to any publication of discoveries. The archive will also provide a wealth of data on all varieties of stellar variability.