LATHROP — Is there another earth out there capable of supporting life?

That’s the mission assigned to the Kepler project based at NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffat Field in the South Bay.

So far they’ve confirmed 17 planets.

The Kepler Mission is the inspiration for the design of this year’s Dell’Osso Farms corn maze. It is one of seven farms nationwide that will roll out corn mazes in October encompassing various NASA missions in their designs. They also will have an education component attached to them.

NASA is also arranging to have an astronaut appear at each corn maze that is coordinating their designs with the space program.

“We’re pretty excited about it,” said Susan Dell’Osso.

The Lathrop maze will incorporate a solar system in its design among other components. Fact boards related to the Kepler Mission will appear throughout the maze.

NASA is employing satellite technology to help design the Dell’Osso maze as well as six others that will have themes that reflect other NASA missions.

It was no accident that NASA picked Dell’Osso Farms as one of their partners in the public relations blitz tied to the harvest season.

Dell’Osso Farms is the second biggest draw among corn mazes in the country based on agri-tourism numbers. They had a record 140,000 visitors in 2009. An unusually wet October last year whittled back their attendance by 30,000. Still, they drew substantially more visitors than any other maze in California last year.

Dell’Osso Farms’ Pumpkin Maze is open throughout October and includes a number of other attractions including a haunted house, pumpkin blasters, a pumpkin patch, farm-style rides, a confidence course, and more.