New Horizons
Organization	NASA
Major contractors	JHU APL, SwRI
Mission type	Flyby
Flyby of	Jupiter, Pluto, and Charon
Flyby date	July 14, 2015
Launch date	January 19, 2006
Launch vehicle	Atlas V-551
Mission duration	Flyby of Pluto (>10 yr)
NSSDC ID	2006-001A
Webpage	New Horizons Home
Mass	478 kg
Inclination	Currently negligible (2006)

New Horizons on the launchpad

New Horizons is a robotic spacecraft mission by NASA currently underway. It is expected to be the first spacecraft to fly by and study the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons, Charon, Nix, and Hydra. NASA may also approve flybys of one or more other Kuiper Belt Objects. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 750 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1500 × 1200 pixel, file size: 407 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pluto New... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), located in Laurel, Maryland, is a not-for-profit, university-affiliated research center employing 4,000 people. ... Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization. ... For other uses, see Jupiter (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pluto (disambiguation). ... Charon (shair-ən or kair-ən (key), IPA , Greek Χάρων), discovered in 1978, is, depending on the definition employed, either the largest moon of Pluto or one member of a double dwarf planet with Pluto being the other member. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the video game developer, see 2015, Inc. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 7:43:00 a. ... The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is a department in NASAs Solar System Exploration Division. ... For the science fiction novella by William Shunn, see Inclination (novella). ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1944 × 2592 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1944 × 2592 pixel, file size: 3. ... An artists interpretation of the MESSENGER spacecraft at Mercury A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. ... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ... For other uses, see Pluto (disambiguation). ... Charon (shair-ən or kair-ən (key), IPA , Greek Χάρων), discovered in 1978, is, depending on the definition employed, either the largest moon of Pluto or one member of a double dwarf planet with Pluto being the other member. ... Nix (formerly known as S/2005 P 2), is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... Hydra (formerly known as S/2005 P 1) is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... The Kuiper belt, derived from data from the Minor Planet Center. ...

New Horizons was launched on January 19, 2006 directly into an Earth- and solar-escape trajectory. It had an Earth-relative velocity of about 16.21 km/s (36,260 mph) after its last engine shut down, making it the fastest spacecraft launch to date. After a flyby of Jupiter on 28 February 2007 at 5:43:40 UTC, it will arrive at Pluto on 14 July 2015 then continue to the Kuiper belt. is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Jupiter (disambiguation). ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the video game developer, see 2015, Inc. ... The Kuiper belt, derived from data from the Minor Planet Center. ...

Background

New Horizons is the first mission in NASA's New Frontiers mission category, larger and more expensive than Discovery missions but smaller than "flagship" programs. The cost of the mission (including spacecraft and instrument development, launch vehicle, mission operations, data analysis, and education/public outreach) is approximately $650 million over 15 years (from 2001 to 2016). An earlier proposed Pluto mission – Pluto Kuiper Express – was cancelled by NASA in 2000 for budgetary reasons. NASAs New Frontiers Program is a series of medium-cost (not to exceed 700 million), highly focused scientific space missions. ... NASAs Discovery Program is a series of lower-cost, highly focused scientific space missions. ... The Pluto Kuiper Express mission, originally designated the Pluto Fast Flyby, was designed to fly by and make studies of the planet Pluto and its satellite Charon in 2012 and fly on to encounter one or more of the large bodies in the Kuiper belt beyond the orbit of Pluto. ...

The New Horizons craft was built primarily by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The mission's principal investigator is Dr. S. Alan Stern (NASA Associate Administrator, formerly of the Southwest Research Institute). Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit applied research and development organization. ... The Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. ... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), located in Laurel, Maryland, is a not-for-profit, university-affiliated research center employing 4,000 people. ... A principal investigator (PI) is the lead scientist for a particular well-defined science project, such as an astronomical observing campaign, laboratory study or clinical trial. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Overall control, after separation from the launch vehicle, is performed at Mission Operations Center (MOC) at the Applied Physics Laboratory. The science instruments are operated at the Clyde Tombaugh Science Operations Center (T-SOC) in Boulder, Colorado. Navigation, which is not realtime, is performed at various contractor facilities; KinetX is the lead on the New Horizons' navigation team and is responsible for planning trajectory adjustments as the spacecraft speeds toward the outer solar system. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), located in Laurel, Maryland, is a not-for-profit, university-affiliated research center employing 4,000 people. ... KinetX, Inc. ...

New Horizons was originally planned as a voyage to what was then the only unexplored planet in the Solar System. When the spacecraft was launched, Pluto was still classified as a planet, later to be reclassified as a dwarf planet by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). However, some members of the New Horizons team, including Alan Stern, disagree with the IAU definition and therefore still describe Pluto as the ninth planet. Pluto's newly discovered satellites, Nix and Hydra, also have a connection with the spacecraft. The first letters of their names, N and H, are the initials of New Horizons. The moons' discoverers chose these names for this reason, in addition to Nix and Hydra's relationship to the mythological Pluto. This article is about the astronomical term. ... The final definition left the solar system with eight planets, pictured above (not to scale) Displays the remaining eight planets with the celestial bodies that have now been designated as dwarf planets. ... IAU redirects here. ... Nix (formerly known as S/2005 P 2), is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... Hydra (formerly known as S/2005 P 1) is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... For other uses, see Pluto (disambiguation). ...

In addition to the scientific equipment, there are several cultural artifacts travelling with the spacecraft. These include a collection of 430,000 names stored on a compact disc,^[1] a piece of Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne,^[2] and an American flag, along with other mementos. One of the trim weights on the spacecraft is a Florida state quarter, and principal investigator Alan Stern has also confirmed that some of the ashes of Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh are aboard the spacecraft.^[3] Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne SpaceShipOnes patch The Scaled Composites Model 316 SpaceShipOne is an experimental air-launched suborbital spaceplane that uses a hybrid rocket motor. ... Union Jack. ... Obverse of redesigned quarter The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... An image of Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. ...

Mission profile

Launch

New Horizons at liftoff

Launch Complex 41 during New Horizons launch

The launch of New Horizons was originally scheduled for January 11, 2006, but was initially delayed until January 17 to allow for borescope inspections of the Atlas rocket's kerosene tank. Further delays related to low cloud ceiling conditions downrange, high winds and technical difficulties unrelated to the rocket itself prevented launch for a further two days. The probe finally lifted off from Pad 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, directly south of Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39, at 14:00 EST on January 19, 2006. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1516x1696, 453 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1516x1696, 453 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... A borescope is a rigid tube with an eyepiece on one end, an objective lens on the other linked together by a relay optical system in between. ... Mercury Atlas 9 rocket and capsule on pad The Atlas is a venerable line of space launch vehicles built by Lockheed Martin. ... Kerosene or kerosine, also called paraffin oil or paraffin in British usage (not to be confused with the waxy solid also called paraffin wax or just paraffin) is a flammable hydrocarbon liquid. ... Downrange is the horizontal distance travelled by a spacecraft, or the spacecrafts horizontal distance from the launch site. ... An aerial view of LC-41. ... The Bumper V-2 was the first missile launched at Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... This article is about the space vehicle. ... Launch Complex Plan - 1963 Launch Complex 39A Launch Complex 39B with Discovery shuttle Launch Complex 39 actually refers to LC39A and LC39B at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, USA, which are currently launch pads for the space shuttle. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Centaur second stage reignited at 14:30 EST (19:30 UTC), successfully sending the probe out of Earth orbit. New Horizons took only nine hours to reach the Moon's orbit, and passed lunar orbit before midnight EST on the same day. Model of Centaur with Surveyor as payload. ... Earth orbit is an orbit around the planet Earth. ...

Although there were backup launch opportunities in February 2006 and February 2007, only the first 23 days of the 2006 window permitted the Jupiter flyby. Any launch outside that period would have forced the spacecraft to fly a slower trajectory directly to Pluto, delaying its encounter by 2–4 years.

The craft was launched by a Lockheed Martin Atlas V 551 rocket, with a Boeing Star 48B third stage added to increase the heliocentric (escape) speed. This was the first launch of the 551 configuration of the Atlas V. Previous flights had used none, two, or three solid boosters, but never five. This puts the Atlas V 551 takeoff thrust, at well over 2 million pounds (9 MN), past the Delta IV-Heavy, of under 2 million lbf. The major part of this thrust is supplied by two Russian RD-180 engines, 4.152 MN each. The Delta IVH remains the larger vehicle, at over 1,600,000 lb (725 Mg) versus AV-010's 1,260,000 lb (570 Mg). The Atlas V rocket had earlier been slightly damaged when Hurricane Wilma swept across Florida on October 24, 2005. One of the solid rocket boosters was hit by a door. The booster was replaced with an identical unit, rather than inspecting and requalifying the original.^[4] Lockheed/BAE/Northrop F-35 Lockheed Trident missile C-130 Hercules; in production since the 1950s, now as the C-130J Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is an aerospace manufacturer formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. ... Launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 7:43:00 a. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661) is a major aerospace and defense corporation, originally founded by William Edward Boeing. ... The Star 48 is a type of solid rocket motor used by both the Space Shuttle and the New Horizons probe. ... NASA Image of the final solid rocket booster (right) being mated to a Delta II rocket (blue). ... A pound or pound-force (abbreviations: lb, lbf, or lbf) is a unit of force. ... For other uses, see Newton (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that some sections of this article be split into a new article entitled Delta IV launches. ... A pound or pound-force (abbreviations: lb, lbf, or lbf) is a unit of force. ... The RD-180 is a dual-bell, Russian-developed rocket engine which is essentially a cut-down version of a larger Russian engine with four bells. ... Look up pound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A tonne (also called metric ton) is a non-SI unit of mass, accepted for use with SI, defined as: 1 tonne = 103 kg (= 106 g). ... Lowest pressure 882 mbar (hPa; 26. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Star 48B third stage is also on a hyperbolic solar system escape orbit, and will beat the New Horizons spacecraft to Jupiter. So will two small despin masses, the "yo-yo masses," released from the stage. However, since they will not be in controlled flight, they will not receive the correct gravity assist, and will only pass within 200 million miles (320 million km) of Pluto.^[5] A yo-yo de-spin mechanism is a device used to reduce the spin of satellite, typically right after launch. ...

New Horizons holds the record as the fastest spacecraft ever launched, having achieved the highest Earth-relative velocity and thus leaving Earth faster than any other spacecraft to date. It is also the first spacecraft launched directly into a solar escape trajectory, which requires a velocity of 16.5 km/s approx., plus losses, all to be provided by the launcher. However, it will not be the fastest spacecraft to leave the solar system. This record is held by Voyager 1, currently travelling at 17.145 km/s (38,350 mph) relative to the Sun. Voyager 1 attained greater hyperbolic excess velocity from Jupiter and Saturn gravitational slingshots than New Horizons. Other spacecraft, such as Helios 1 & 2, can also be measured as the "fastest" objects, due to their orbital velocity relative to the Sun at perihelion. However, because they remain in solar orbit, their orbital energy relative to the Sun is lower than the five probes (and three other third stages on hyperbolic trajectories), including New Horizons, that achieved solar escape velocity. (The Sun has a far more massive gravity well than Earth.) For the album by The Verve, see Voyager 1 (album). ... In astrodynamics or celestial mechanics a hyperbolic trajectory is an orbit with the eccentricity greater than 1. ... In orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, a gravitational slingshot or gravity assist is the use of the gravity of a planet or other celestial body to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft. ... Prototype of the Helios spacecraft Helios I sitting atop its Titan IIIE Centaur launcher (LC-41, CCAFS, 1974) The Helios deep space probes were launched in the mid 1970s by the Federal Republic of Germany and NASA, using US Air Force launch vehicles. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... In astrodynamics the specific orbital energy (or vis-viva energy) of an orbiting body traveling through space under standard assumptions is the sum of its potential energy () and kinetic energy () per unit mass. ... A gravity well is the scientific/science fictional term for the distortion in space-time caused by a massive body such as a planet. ...

Trajectory corrections and instrument testing

On January 28 and January 30, 2006, mission controllers guided the probe through its first trajectory correction maneuver (TCM), which was divided into two parts called TCM-1A and TCM-1B. The total velocity change of these two corrections was about 18 meters per second. TCM-1 was accurate enough to permit the cancellation of TCM-2, the second of three originally scheduled corrections.^[6] is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the week of February 20, controllers conducted initial in-flight tests of three onboard scientific instruments, the Alice ultraviolet imaging spectrometer, the PEPSSI plasma-sensor, and the LORRI long-range visible-spectrum camera. No scientific measurements or images were taken, but instrument electronics (and in the case of Alice, some electromechanical systems) were shown to be functioning correctly.^[7] is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On March 9 at 1700 UTC, controllers performed TCM-3, the last of three scheduled course corrections. The engines burned for 76 seconds, adjusting the spacecraft's velocity by about 1.16 meters per second.^[8] is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Passing Mars orbit and asteroid flyby

On April 7, 2006 at 10:00 UTC, the spacecraft passed the orbit of Mars, moving at roughly 21 km/s away from the Sun at a solar distance of 243 million kilometers.^[9] April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

New Horizons made a distant flyby of the small asteroid 132524 APL (previously known by its provisional designation, 2002 JF₅₆), at a distance of 101,867 km at 04:05 UTC on June 13, 2006. The best current estimate of the asteroid's diameter is approximately 2.3 kilometers, and the spectra obtained by New Horizons shows that APL is an S-type asteroid. The two spots in this image are two images of asteroid taken on June 11 (bottom, at a distance of 3. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... S-type asteroids are of a silicaceous (stony) composition, hence the name. ...

The spacecraft successfully tracked the asteroid over June 10 – June 12, 2006. This allowed the mission team to test the spacecraft's ability to track rapidly moving objects. Images were obtained through the Ralph telescope.^[10] is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Jupiter gravity assist

New Horizons at periapsis with Jupiter on February 28, 2007

New Horizons' LORRI imager took its first photographs of Jupiter on September 4, 2006. The spacecraft began further study of the Jovian system in December 2006.^[11] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 488 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (510 × 627 pixel, file size: 38 KB, MIME type: image/png) (All user names refer to en. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 488 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (510 × 627 pixel, file size: 38 KB, MIME type: image/png) (All user names refer to en. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

New Horizons received a Jupiter gravity assist with a closest approach at 5:43:40 UTC (12:43:40am EST) on February 28, 2007. It passed through the Jupiter system at 21 km/s (46,975 mph) relative to Jupiter (23 km/s (51,449 mph) relative to the Sun). New Horizons was the first probe launched directly towards Jupiter since the Ulysses probe in 1990. Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 70 kPa Hydrogen ~86% Helium ~14% Methane 0. ... In orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, a gravitational slingshot or gravity assist is the use of the gravity of a planet or other celestial body to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Ulysses spacecraft Ulysses is an unmanned probe designed to study the Sun at all latitudes. ...

The flyby increased New Horizons' speed away from the Sun by nearly 4 km/s (8,947 mph), putting the spacecraft on a faster trajectory to Pluto, about 2.5 degrees out of the plane of the Earth's orbit (the "ecliptic"). The plane of the ecliptic is well seen in this picture from the 1994 lunar prospecting Clementine spacecraft. ...

While at Jupiter, New Horizon's instruments refined the orbits of Jupiter's inner moons, particularly Amalthea. The probe's cameras measured volcanoes on Io and studied all four Galilean moons in detail, as well as long distance studies of the outer moons Himalia and Elara. Imaging of the Jovian system began September 4, 2006.^[12] The craft also studied Jupiter's Great Red Spot and the planet's magnetosphere and tenuous ring system.^[13] Apparent magnitude: 14. ... Atmosphere Surface pressure: trace Composition: 90% sulfur dioxide Io (eye-oe, IPA: , Greek Ῑώ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and, with a diameter of 3,642 kilometers, is the fourth largest moon in the Solar System. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Himalia (hye-mal-ee-a, also hi-mahl-ee-a, IPA , ; Greek ‘Ιμαλíα) is a moon of Jupiter. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Elara (ee-lur-a or ee-lair-a, IPA or , Greek Ελάρη) is a moon of Jupiter. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A false-color image of the Great Red Spot of Jupiter from Voyager 1. ...

Pluto approach

First Pluto sighting from New Horizons (September 21-24, 2006)

The first images of Pluto from New Horizons were created between September 21–24, 2006, during a test of the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI). They were released on November 28.^[14] The images, taken from a distance of approximately 4.2 billion kilometers (2.6 billion miles), confirmed the spacecraft's ability to track distant targets, critical for maneuvering toward Pluto and other Kuiper Belt objects.
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x900, 541 KB) (sourced from http://pluto. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (900x900, 541 KB) (sourced from http://pluto. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

It is planned for New Horizons to fly within 10,000 km (6,200 mi) of Pluto. New Horizons will have a relative velocity of 13.78 km/s at closest approach, and will come as close as 27,000 km (16,800 mi) to Charon, although these parameters may be changed during flight. For other uses, see Pluto (disambiguation). ... Charon (shair-É™n or kair-É™n (key), IPA , Greek Χάρων), discovered in 1978, is, depending on the definition employed, either the largest moon of Pluto or one member of a double dwarf planet with Pluto being the other member. ...

Kuiper Belt mission

After passing by Pluto, New Horizons will continue further into the Kuiper Belt. Mission planners are now searching for one or more additional Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) on the order of 50–100 km (30–60 mi) in diameter for flybys similar to the spacecraft's Plutonian encounter. As maneuvering capability is limited, this phase of the mission is contingent on finding suitable KBOs close to New Horizons' flight path, ruling out any possibility for a planned flyby of Eris, a trans-Neptunian object larger than Pluto.^[15] The available region, being fairly close to the plane of the Milky Way and thus difficult to survey for dim objects, is one that has not been well-covered by previous KBO search efforts. Absolute magnitude: −1. ... A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system that orbits the sun at a greater distance on average than Neptune. ...

Summary of key mission dates

Already accomplished

Position of New Horizons (as of January 15, 2008)

• June 8, 2001 — New Horizons picked by NASA over a competing design, POSSE (Pluto and Outer Solar System Explorer).
• June 13, 2005 — Spacecraft departed APL for final testing at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).
• September 24, 2005 — Spacecraft shipped to Cape Canaveral, through Andrews Air Force Base, aboard a C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft.
• December 17, 2005 — Transported from Hazardous Servicing Facility to Vertical Integration Facility at Launch Complex 41.
• January 11, 2006 — Primary launch window opened. Launch delayed for further testing.
• January 16, 2006 — Atlas V rocket launcher, serial number AV-010, rolled out onto pad.
• January 17, 2006 — First day launch attempts scrubbed because of unacceptable weather conditions (high winds).
• January 18, 2006 — Second launch attempt scrubbed because of morning power outage at the Applied Physics Laboratory.
• January 19, 2006 — Successful launch at 14:00 EST (19:00 UTC) after brief delay due to cloud cover.
• April 7, 2006 — The probe passed Mars' orbit.
• Early May, 2006 — The probe entered the asteroid belt.
• June 13, 2006 — The probe passed closest to the asteroid 132524 APL in the Belt at about 101,867 km at 04:05 UTC. Pictures were taken.
• Late October, 2006 — The probe left the asteroid belt.
• November 28, 2006 — First faint image of Pluto taken from a distance released.
• January 8, 2007 — Start of Jupiter encounter.
• January 10, 2007 — Long distance observations of outer moon Callirrhoe as a navigation exercise.
• February 28, 2007 — Jupiter flyby. Closest approach occurred at 05:43:40 UTC at 2.305 million km, 21.219 km/s.
• March 5, 2007 — End of Jupiter encounter phase.

is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Aerial view of Goddard Space Flight Center. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the area of Florida. ... Emblem of the AFDW Andrews Air Force Base (ICAO code KADW) is a United States Air Force base near Washington, DC and the home base of the U.S. presidential aircraft, Air Force One. ... For the Lockheed aircraft with this designation, see C-17 Super Vega. ... A large military cargo aircraft: the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III A cargo aircraft is an airplane designed and used for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, 7:43:00 a. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), located in Laurel, Maryland, is a not-for-profit, university-affiliated research center employing 4,000 people. ... is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... For other uses, see Asteroid (disambiguation). ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The two spots in this image are two images of asteroid taken on June 11 (bottom, at a distance of 3. ... For other uses, see Asteroid (disambiguation). ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Callirrhoe (IPA: , ka-leer-oe-ee, Greek Καλλιρρόη) (Jupiter XVII) is one of Jupiters outermost named natural satellites. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Planned

• June 9, 2008 — The probe will pass Saturn's orbit.
• March 5, 2011 — The probe will pass Uranus' orbit.
• August 1, 2014 — The probe will pass Neptune's orbit.
• July 14, 2015 — Flyby of Pluto around 11:59 UTC at 11096 km, 13.780 km/s
• July 14, 2015 — Flyby of Charon around 12:13 UTC at 26927 km, 13.875 km/s
• 2016-2020 — possible flyby of one or more Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs).

is the 160th day of the year (161st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the planet. ... This article is about the day. ... 2011 (MMXI) will be a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Uranus (disambiguation). ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2014 (MMXIV) will be a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Neptune (disambiguation). ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the video game developer, see 2015, Inc. ... For other uses, see Pluto (disambiguation). ... ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the video game developer, see 2015, Inc. ... Charon (shair-ən or kair-ən (key), IPA , Greek Χάρων), discovered in 1978, is, depending on the definition employed, either the largest moon of Pluto or one member of a double dwarf planet with Pluto being the other member. ... ... 2016 (MMXVI) will be a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2020 (MMXX) will be a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Kuiper belt (KYE per) is an area of the solar system extending from within the orbit of Neptune (at 30 AU) to 50 AU from the sun, at inclinations consistent with the ecliptic. ...

Spacecraft subsystems

Structural overview

The spacecraft is comparable in size and general shape to a grand piano and has been compared to a "piano glued to a sports-car-sized satellite dish". As a point of departure, the team took inspiration from the Ulysses spacecraft[1], which also carried an RTG and dish on a box-in-box structure through the outer Solar System. Many subsystems and components have flight heritage from APL's CONTOUR spacecraft, which in turn had heritage from APL's TIMED spacecraft. Ulysses spacecraft Ulysses is an unmanned probe designed to study the Sun at all latitudes. ... The Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) was a Discovery-class space mission. ... The TIMED spacecraft (NASA GSFC) TIMED Mission diagram (NASA) The TIMED (Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics) mission is a two year project to study the dynamics of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) portion of the Earths atmosphere. ...

Structural

The spacecraft's body forms a triangle, almost 2.5 feet (0.75 m) thick. (The Pioneers had hexagonal 6-sided bodies, while the Voyagers, Galileo, and Cassini-Huygens had decagonal 10-sided, hollow bodies.) A 7075 (alloy) aluminium tube forms the main structural column, between the launch vehicle adapter ring at the "rear," and the 2.1 m radio dish antenna affixed to the "front" flat side. The titanium fuel tank is in this tube. The Radioisotope thermoelectric generator, or RTG attaches with a 4-sided titanium mount resembling a grey pyramid or stepstool. Titanium provides strength and thermal isolation. The rest of the triangle is primarily sandwich panels of thin aluminium facesheet (less than 1/64" or 0.4 mm) bonded to aluminium honeycomb core. Voyager Project redirects here. ... Galileo is prepared for mating with the IUS booster Galileo being deployed after being launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... An alloy is a homogeneous hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... Aluminum redirects here. ... A dish antenna is a type of antenna in which a parabolic dish focuses a signal onto an antenna, located at the parabolas focal point. ... General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ... // A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is a simple electrical generator which obtains its power from radioactive decay. ... Aluminum redirects here. ...

New Horizons in its assembly hall.

The structure is larger than strictly necessary, with empty space inside. The structure is designed to act as shielding, reducing electronics errors caused by radiation from the RTG. Also, the mass distribution required for a spinning spacecraft demands a wider triangle. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 474 KB) In the clean room at KSC’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians prepare the New Horizons spacecraft for a media event. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3008x2000, 474 KB) In the clean room at KSC’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, technicians prepare the New Horizons spacecraft for a media event. ...

Propulsion and attitude control

New Horizons has both spin-stabilized (cruise) and three-axis stabilized (science) modes, controlled entirely with hydrazine monopropellant. Seventy-seven kilograms of hydrazine provides a delta-v capability of over 290 m/s after launch. Helium is used as a pressurant, with an elastomeric diaphragm assisting expulsion. The spacecraft's on-orbit mass including fuel will be over 470 kg for a Jupiter flyby trajectory, but would have been only 445 kg for a direct flight to Pluto. This would have meant less fuel for later Kuiper Belt operations and is caused by the launch vehicle performance limitations for a direct-to-Pluto flight. Hydrazine is the chemical compound with formula N2H4. ... A monopropellant rocket (or monoprop rocket) is a rocket that uses a single chemical as its power source and propellant. ... General In general physics delta-v is simply the change in velocity. ... The term elastomer is often used interchangeably with the term rubber, and is preferred when referring to vulcanisates. ...

There are 16 thrusters on New Horizons: four 1 lbf (4.4 N) and twelve 0.2 lbf (0.9 N) plumbed into redundant branches. The larger thrusters are used primarily for trajectory corrections, and the small ones (previously used on Cassini and the Voyager spacecraft) are used primarily for attitude control and spinup/spindown maneuvers. Two star cameras (from Galileo Avionica) are used for fine attitude control. They are mounted on the face of the spacecraft and provide attitude information while in spinning or in 3-axis mode. Between star camera readings, knowledge is provided by dual redundant Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) from Honeywell. Each unit contains three solid-state gyroscopes and three accelerometers. Two Adcole Sun sensors provide coarse attitude control. One detects angle to the Sun, while the other measures spin rate and clocking. A monopropellant rocket (or monoprop rocket) is a rocket that uses a single chemical as its power source and propellant. ... The pound-force is a non-SI unit of force or weight (properly abbreviated lbf or lbf). The pound-force is equal to a mass of one pound multiplied by the standard acceleration due to gravity on Earth (which is defined as exactly 9. ... For other uses, see Newton (disambiguation). ... The pound-force is a non-SI unit of force or weight (properly abbreviated lbf or lbf). The pound-force is equal to a mass of one pound multiplied by the standard acceleration due to gravity on Earth (which is defined as exactly 9. ... For other uses, see Newton (disambiguation). ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... Voyager Project redirects here. ... // In the context of spacecraft, attitude control is control of the angular position and rotation of the spacecraft, either relative to the object that it is orbiting, or relative to the celestial sphere. ... MIMU Exploded View (From Marlim. ... Honeywell Heating Specialties Company Stock Certificate dated 1924 signed by Mark C. Honeywell - courtesy of Scripophily. ...

Power

A cylindrical radioisotope thermoelectric generator, or RTG, protrudes from one vertex in the plane of the triangle. The RTG will provide about 240 W, 30 V DC at launch, decaying to 200 W at encounter in 2015. The RTG, model "GPHS-RTG," was originally a spare from the Cassini mission. The RTG contains 11 kg (24 pounds) of plutonium-238 oxide pellets. Each pellet is clad in iridium, then encased in a graphite shell. // A radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) is a simple electrical generator which obtains its power from radioactive decay. ... For other uses, see Watt (disambiguation). ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... Plutonium 238, is an isotope of plutonium with a half-life of 86. ... This article is about the chemical element. ...

It was developed by the U.S. Department of Energy^[16][17] at the Materials and Fuels Complex (formerly Argonne West), a part of the Idaho National Laboratory north of Idaho Falls, Idaho, near Arco, Idaho.^[18] The plutonium was produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Less than the original design goal was produced, due to delays at the United States Department of Energy, including security activities, which held up production. The mission parameters and observation sequence had to be modified for the reduced wattage; still, not all instruments can operate simultaneously. The Department of Energy transferred the space battery program from Ohio to Argonne in 2002 because of security concerns. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. ... The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is an 890 square mile (2,300 km²) complex located in the Idaho desert between the towns of Arco and Idaho Falls. ... Coordinates: , Country State County Bonneville Founded 1864 Incorporated 1891 Government  - Mayor Jared Fuhriman Area  - City  17. ... Arco, Idaho Arco is a city located in Butte County, Idaho. ... Los Alamos National Laboratory, aerial view from 1995. ...

There are no onboard batteries. RTG output is relatively predictable; load transients are handled by a capacitor bank and fast circuit breakers.

Thermal

Internally, the structure is painted black. This equalizes temperature by radiative heat transfer. Radiant heat redirects here. ...

Overall, the spacecraft is thoroughly blanketed to retain heat. Unlike the Pioneers and Voyagers, the radio dish is also enclosed in blankets which extend to the body. The heat from the RTG also adds warmth to the spacecraft in the outer solar system. In the inner solar system, the spacecraft must prevent overheating. Electronic activity is limited, power is diverted to shunts with attached radiators, and louvres are opened to radiate excess heat. Then, when the spacecraft is cruising inactively in the cold outer solar system, the louvres are closed, and the shunt regulator reroutes power to electric heaters. Resistor symbols (American) Resistor symbols (Europe, IEC) Axial-lead resistors on tape. ...

Telecommunications

Antennas of New Horizons (HGA, MGA and LGA).

Communication with the spacecraft is via X band, at a rate of approximately 1000 bit/s from Pluto's distance (38 kbit/s at Jupiter) to a 70 m Deep Space Network (DSN) dish. The spacecraft uses dual redundant transmitters and receivers, and either right- or left-hand circular polarization. The downlink signal is amplified by dual redundant 12-watt TWTAs (traveling-wave tube amplifiers) mounted on the body under the dish. The receivers are new, low-power designs. The system can be controlled to power both TWTAs at the same time, and transmit a dual-polarized downlink signal to the DSN that could almost double the downlink rate. Initial tests with the DSN in this dual-polarized mode have been successful, and an effort to make the DSN polarization-combining technique operational is underway. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (882x586, 101 KB) Summary REX is a instrument abord NASAs New Horizons space probe. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (882x586, 101 KB) Summary REX is a instrument abord NASAs New Horizons space probe. ... The X band (3-cm radar spot-band) of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum roughly ranges from 5. ... In telecommunications and computing, bit rate (sometimes written bitrate) is the frequency at which bits are passing a given (physical or metaphorical) point. It is quantified using the bit per second (bit/s) unit. ... Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. ... In electrodynamics, polarization (also spelled polarisation) is the property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the direction of their transverse electric field. ...

In addition to the high-gain antenna, there are two low-gain antennas and a medium-gain dish. The high-gain dish has a Cassegrain layout, composite construction, and a 2.1 meter diameter (providing well over 40 dB of gain, and a half-power beam width of about a degree). The prime-focus, medium-gain antenna, with a 0.3 meter aperture and 10-degree half-power beamwidth, is mounted to the back of the high-gain antenna's secondary reflector. The forward low-gain antenna is stacked atop the feed of the medium-gain antenna. The aft low-gain antenna is mounted within the launch adapter at the rear of the spacecraft. This antenna was only used for early mission phases near Earth, just after launch and for emergencies if the spacecraft had lost attitude control. The Forststernwarte Jena 50cm Cassegrain telescope. ...

To save mission costs, the spacecraft will be in "hibernation" between Jupiter and Pluto. It will awaken once per year, for 50 days, for equipment checkout and trajectory tracking. The rest of the time, the spacecraft will be in a slow spin, sending a beacon tone once per week. Depending on frequency, the beacon indicates normal operation, or one of seven fault modes. New Horizons is the first mission to use the DSN's beacon tone system operationally, the system having been flight-tested by the DS1 mission. The spacecraft Deep Space 1 was launched October 24, 1998 on top of a Delta II rocket. ...

Data handling

New Horizons will record scientific instrument data to its solid-state buffer at each encounter, then transmit the data to Earth. Data storage is done on two low-power solid-state recorders (one primary, one backup) holding up to 8 gigabytes (64 gigabits) each. Because of the extreme distance from Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, only one buffer load at those encounters can be saved. This is because New Horizons will have left the vicinity of Pluto (or future target object) by the time it takes to transmit the buffer load back to Earth. A USB flash drive. ... This article is about the unit of measurement. ...

Part of the reason for the delay between the gathering and transmission of data is because all of the New Horizons instrumentation is body-mounted. In order for the cameras to record data, the entire probe must turn, and the one-degree-wide beam of the high-gain antenna will almost certainly not be pointing toward Earth. Previous spacecraft, such as the Voyager program probes, had a rotatable instrumentation platform (a "scan platform") that could take measurements from virtually any angle without losing radio contact with Earth. New Horizons' elimination of excess mechanisms was implemented to save weight, shorten the schedule, and improve reliability to achieve a 15+ year lifetime. Voyager Project redirects here. ...

(The Voyager 2 spacecraft experienced platform jamming at Saturn; the demands of long time exposures at Uranus led to modifications of the probe to rotate the entire probe instead to achieve the time exposure photos at Uranus and Neptune, similar to how New Horizons will rotate.)

Flight computer

The spacecraft carries two computer systems, the Command and Data Handling system and the Guidance and Control processor. Each of the two systems is duplicated for redundancy, giving a total of four computers. The processor used is the Mongoose-V, a 12 MHz radiation-hardened version of the MIPS R3000 CPU. Multiple clocks and timing routines are implemented in hardware and software to help prevent faults and downtime. This article is about the machine. ... In engineering, the duplication of critical components of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the case of a backup or fail-safe, is called redundancy. ... The Mongoose-V 32-bit microprocessor for spacecraft on-board computer applications is a radiation-hardened and expanded 10–15 MHz version of the MIPS R3000 CPU. The Mongoose was developed by Synova, Inc. ... MegaHertz (MHz) is the name given to one million (106) Hertz, a measure of frequency. ... Microelectronics designed for environments with high levels of ionizing radiation have special design challenges. ... A MIPS R4400 microprocessor made by Toshiba. ... CPU redirects here. ...

To conserve heat and mass, spacecraft and instrument electronics are housed together in IEMs (Integrated Electronics Modules). There are two redundant IEMs. Including other functions such as instrument and radio electronics, each IEM contains 9 boards.

Mission science

Instrument suite

The spacecraft carries seven scientific instruments. Total mass is 31 kg; rated power is 21 watts (though not all instruments operate simultaneously).^[19]

Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) 

LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager -- a visible-light, high-resolution CCD imager with a 208.3 mm (8.2 inch) aperture and 1024×1024 monochromatic CCD. Resolution is 5 microradians (approximately one arcsecond). The CCD is chilled far below freezing by a passive radiator on the antisolar face of the spacecraft. This temperature differential requires insulation, and isolation from the rest of the structure. The Ritchey-Chretien mirrors and metering structure are made of silicon carbide, to boost stiffness, reduce weight, and prevent warping at low temperatures. The optical elements sit in a composite light shield, and mount with titanium and fibreglass for thermal isolation. Overall mass is 8.6 kg, with the OTA weighing about 5.6 kg,^[20] for one of the largest silicon-carbide telescopes yet flown.

Pluto Exploration Remote Sensing Investigation (PERSI) 

This consists of two instruments: The Ralph telescope, 6 centimetres in aperture, with two separate channels: a visible-light CCD imager (MVIC- Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera) with broadband and color channels, and a near-infrared imaging spectrometer, LEISA (Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array). LEISA is derived from a similar instrument on the EO-1 mission. The second instrument is an ultraviolet imaging spectrometer, Alice. Alice resolves 1,024 wavelength bands in the far and extreme ultraviolet (from 180 to 50 nanometres), over 32 view fields. This Alice is derived from an Alice on the Rosetta mission. Ralph, designed afterwards, was named after Alice's husband on The Honeymooners. Ralph and Alice are names, not acronyms.

Plasma and high energy particle spectrometer suite (PAM) 

Two instruments, consisting of SWAP (Solar Wind Analyser around Pluto), a toroidal electrostatic analyzer and retarding potential analyser, and PEPSSI (Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation), a time of flight ion and electron sensor. SWAP measures particles of up to 6.5 keV, PEPSSI goes up to 1 MeV. Because of the tenuous solar wind at Pluto's distance, the SWAP instrument has the largest aperture of any such instrument ever flown.

Radio Science Experiment (REX) 

REX will use an ultrastable crystal oscillator (essentially a calibrated crystal in a miniature oven) and some additional electronics to conduct radio science investigations using the communications channels. These are small enough to fit on a single card. Since there are two redundant communications subsystems, there are two, identical REX circuit boards.

Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (VBSDC) 

Built by students at the University of Colorado, the Student Dust Counter will operate continuously through the trajectory to make dust measurements. It consists of a detector panel, about 18 inches × 12 inches (460 mm by 300 mm), mounted on the antisolar face of the spacecraft (the ram direction), and an electronics box within the spacecraft. The detector contains fourteen PVDF panels, twelve science and two reference, which generate voltage when impacted. Effective collecting area is 0.125 m². No dust counter has operated past the orbit of Uranus; models of dust in the outer solar system, especially the Kuiper Belt, are speculative. The dust counter is named for Venetia Burney, who first suggested the name "Pluto" at the age of 11.

Ralph The optical spectrum (light or visible spectrum) is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. ... A specially developed CCD used for ultraviolet imaging in a wire bonded package. ... The radian (symbol: rad) is the SI unit of plane angle. ... A second of arc or arcsecond is a unit of angular measurement which comprises one-sixtieth of an arcminute, or 1/3600 of a degree of arc or 1/1296000 ≈ 7. ... The Ritchey-Chrétien telescope or RCT is a specialized Cassegrain telescope designed to eliminate coma, thus providing a relatively large field of view as compared to a more conventional configuration. ... Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Silicon carbide (SiC) is a ceramic compound of silicon and carbon that is manufactured on a large scale for use mainly as an abrasive but also occurs in... A specially developed CCD used for ultraviolet imaging in a wire bonded package. ... For other uses, see Infrared (disambiguation). ... Spectrometer A spectrometer is an optical instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, typically used in spectroscopic analysis to identify materials. ... NASAs New Millennium program is focused on engineering validation of new technologies for space applications. ... For other uses, see Ultraviolet (disambiguation). ... A nanometre (American spelling: nanometer, symbol nm) (Greek: νάνος, nanos, dwarf; μετρώ, metrÏŒ, count) is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one billionth of a metre (or one millionth of a millimetre), which is the current SI base unit of length. ... Conceptual drawing of the Rosetta orbiter and Philae lander Rosetta is a European Space Agency-led unmanned space mission launched in 2004 intended to study the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ... For the 2005 film, see The Honeymooners (film). ... For other uses, see Plasma. ... An Electrostatic Analyzer or ESA is an instrument used in ion optics that uses electric or magnetic fields to allows passage of ions or electrons of a certain energy, usually focusing them to a smaller area. ... The Time of flight (TOF) method of measuring particle mass-to-charge ratio is done as follows. ... This article is about the electrically charged particle. ... For other uses, see Electron (disambiguation). ... a big (1) and a small (2) aperture For other uses, see Aperture (disambiguation). ... A crystal oscillator is an electronic circuit that uses the mechanical resonance of a vibrating crystal of piezoelectric material to create an electrical signal with a very precise frequency. ... A Crystal Oven is a temperature-controlled chamber used to maintain constant temperature of electronic crystals, in order to ensure stability of operation. ... “Space dust” redirects here. ... PVDF, or PolyVinylidine DiFluoride, is a highly non-reactive and pure thermoplastic fluoropolymer. ... For other uses, see Uranus (disambiguation). ... The Kuiper belt, derived from data from the Minor Planet Center. ... Venetia Burney (born 1919) or Venetia Phair (married name) was the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the planet discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh in 1930. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (880x587, 814 KB) Summary Ralph is a instrument abord NASAs New Horizons space probe. ...

LORRI Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2100x1575, 2151 KB) Technicians at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, install the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on NASAs New Horizons spacecraft. ...

SWAP Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1849x1519, 1493 KB) In the NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility, the Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP) instrument has been mounted on the corner of the New Horizons spacecraft (Oct. ...

VBSDC Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 709 KB) Summary A instrument abord NASAs New Horizons space mission. ...

Science objectives and observation plan

Enhanced view of Jupiter's "Little Red Spot" by the New Horizons space probe.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Oval BA (left) Oval BA (commonly known as Red Spot Jr. ...

Jupiter observations

The flyby came within about 32 Jovian radii (3 Gm) of Jupiter and was the centre of a 4-month intensive observation campaign. Jupiter is an interesting, ever-changing target, observed intermittently since the end of the Galileo mission. New Horizons also has instruments built using the latest technology, especially in the area of cameras. They are much improved over Galileo's cameras, which were evolved versions of Voyager cameras which, in turn, were evolved Mariner cameras. The Jupiter encounter also served as a shakedown and dress rehearsal for the Pluto encounter. Because of the much shorter distance from Jupiter to Earth, the communications link can transmit multiple loadings of the memory buffer. The mission will actually return more data from Jupiter than Pluto. Imaging of Jupiter began on September 4, 2006, after which several images were taken.^[21] A gigametre (American spelling: gigameter) (symbol: Gm) is a unit of length equal to 109 metres. ... Galileo is prepared for mating with the IUS booster Galileo being deployed after being launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. ... Voyager Project redirects here. ... Launch of Mariner 1 (NASA) The Mariner program was a program conducted by the American space agency NASA that launched a series of robotic interplanetary probes designed to investigate Mars, Venus and Mercury. ...

Jupiter

Jupiter through infrared camera.

The primary encounter goals included Jovian cloud dynamics, which were greatly reduced from the Galileo observation program, and particle readings from the magnetotail of the Jovian magnetosphere. The spacecraft trajectory coincidentally flew down the magnetotail for months. New Horizons also examined the Jovian nightside for aurorae and lightning. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object in which phenomena are dominated or organized by its magnetic field. ... The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, shines above Bear Lake Aurora Borealis as seen over Canada at 11,000m (36,000 feet) Red and green Aurora in Fairbanks, Alaska Aurora Borealis redirects here. ... Not to be confused with lighting. ...

Animation of volcanic plumes on Io, a moon of Jupiter, by New Horizons.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Atmosphere Surface pressure: trace Composition: 90% sulfur dioxide Io (eye-oe, IPA: , Greek Ῑώ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and, with a diameter of 3,642 kilometers, is the fourth largest moon in the Solar System. ...

Jovian moons

The major (Galilean) moons were in poor position. The aim point of the gravity-assist maneuver meant the spacecraft passed millions of kilometers from any of the Galilean moons. Still, the New Horizons instruments were intended for small, dim targets, so they were scientifically useful on large, distant moons. LORRI searched for volcanoes and plumes on Io. The infrared capabilities of LEISA searched for chemical compositions (including Europa ice dopants), and nightside temperatures (including hotspots on Io). The ultraviolet resolution of Alice searched for aurorae and atmospheres, including the Io torus. Jupiters 4 Galilean moons, in a composite image comparing their sizes and the size of Jupiter (Great Red Spot visible). ... Atmosphere Surface pressure: trace Composition: 90% sulfur dioxide Io (eye-oe, IPA: , Greek Ῑώ) is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and, with a diameter of 3,642 kilometers, is the fourth largest moon in the Solar System. ... Apparent magnitude: 5. ...

Minor moons such as Amalthea had their orbit solutions refined. The cameras determined their position, acting as 'reverse optical navigation.' Apparent magnitude: 14. ...

Pluto flyby

Observations of Pluto, with LORRI plus Ralph, will begin about 6 months prior to closest approach. The targets will be only a few pixels across. This should detect any rings or any additional moons (eventually down to 2 kilometres diameter), for avoidance and targeting maneuvers, and observation scheduling. 70 days out, resolution will exceed the Hubble Space Telescope's resolution, lasting another two weeks after the flyby. Long-range imaging will include 40 km (25 mi) mapping of Pluto and Charon 3.2 days out. This is half the rotation period of Pluto-Charon and will allow imaging of the side of both bodies that will be facing away from the spacecraft at closest approach. Coverage will repeat twice per day, to search for changes due to snows or cryovolcanism. Still, due to Pluto's tilt and rotation, a portion of the north pole will be in shadow at all times. This article is about the picture element. ... The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a telescope in orbit around the Earth, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. ... Image of the south pole of Triton taken by Voyager 2 in 1989. ...

During the flyby, LORRI should be able to obtain select images with resolution as high as 50 m/px (if closest distance is around 10,000 km), and MVIC should obtain 4-color global dayside maps at 1.6 km resolution. LORRI and MVIC will attempt to overlap their respective coverage areas to form stereo pairs. LEISA will obtain hyperspectral near-infrared maps at 7 km/px globally and 0.6 km/pixel for selected areas. Meanwhile, Alice will characterize the atmosphere, both by emissions of atmospheric molecules (airglow), and by dimming of background stars as they pass behind Pluto (occultation). This article is about the picture element. ... The airglow is the very weak emission of visible light by the earths atmosphere, which means that the night sky is never completely dark. ... In this July, 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation. ...

During and after closest approach, SWAP and PEPSSI will sample the high atmosphere and its effects on the solar wind. VBSDC will search for dust, inferring meteoroid collision rates and any invisible rings. REX will perform active and passive radio science. Ground stations on Earth will transmit a powerful radio signal as New Horizons passes behind Pluto's disk, then emerges on the other side. The communications dish will measure the disappearance and reappearance of the signal. The results will resolve Pluto's diameter (by their timing) and atmospheric density and composition (by their weakening and strengthening pattern). (Alice can perform similar occultations, using sunlight instead of radio beacons.) Previous missions had the spacecraft transmit through the atmosphere, to Earth ("downlink"). Low power and extreme distance means New Horizons will be the first such "uplink" mission. Pluto's mass and mass distribution will be evaluated by their tug on the spacecraft. As the spacecraft speeds up and slows down, the radio signal will experience a Doppler shift. The Doppler shift will be measured by comparison with the ultrastable oscillator in the communications electronics. The plasma in the solar wind meeting the heliopause The solar wind is a stream of charged particles (i. ... The Doppler effect is the apparent change in frequency or wavelength of a wave that is perceived by an observer moving relative to the source of the waves. ...

Reflected sunlight from Charon will allow some imaging observations of the nightside. Backlighting by the Sun will highlight any rings or atmospheric hazes. REX will perform radiometry of the nightside.

Initial, highly-compressed images will be transmitted within days. The science team will select the best images for public release. Uncompressed images will take about nine months to transmit, depending on Deep Space Network traffic. It may turn out, however, that fewer months will be needed. The spacecraft link is proving stronger than expected, and it is possible that both downlink channels may be ganged together to boost performance even further. Image compression is the application of Data compression on digital images. ... Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions, and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. ...

Primary objectives (required)

• Characterize the global geology and morphology of Pluto and Charon
• Map chemical compositions of Pluto and Charon surfaces
• Characterize the neutral (non-ionized) atmosphere of Pluto and its escape rate

Loss of any of these objectives will constitute a failure of the mission. This article is about the electrically charged particle. ... Atmosphere is the general name for a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass. ...

Secondary objectives (highly desired)

• Characterize the time variability of Pluto's surface and atmosphere
• Image select Pluto and Charon areas in stereo
• Map the terminators (day/night border) of Pluto and Charon with high resolution
• Map the chemical compositions of select Pluto and Charon areas with high resolution
• Characterize Pluto's ionosphere, and its interaction with the solar wind
• Search for neutral species such as H₂, HCN, hydrocarbons, and other nitriles in the atmosphere
• Search for any Charon atmosphere
• Determine bolometric bond albedos for Pluto and Charon
• Map surface temperatures of Pluto and Charon

It is expected, but not demanded, that most of these objectives will be met. Stereo card image modified for crossed eye viewing. ... World map with terminator (April) A composite image showing the terminator dividing night from day, running across Europe and Africa. ... Relationship of the atmosphere and ionosphere The ionosphere is the uppermost part of the atmosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. ... The plasma in the solar wind meeting the heliopause The solar wind is a stream of charged particles (i. ... Look up Hydrocarbon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A nitrile is any organic compound which has a -C≡N functional group. ... For other uses, see Albedo (disambiguation). ...

Tertiary objectives (desired)

• Characterize the energetic particle environment at Pluto and Charon
• Refine bulk parameters (radii, masses) and orbits of Pluto and Charon
• Search for additional moons, and any rings

These objectives may be attempted, though they may be skipped in favor of the above objectives. An objective to measure any magnetic field of Pluto was dropped. A magnetometer instrument could not be implemented within a reasonable mass budget and schedule, and SWAP and PEPPSI could do an indirect job detecting some magnetic field around Pluto. A natural satellite is an object that orbits a planet or other body larger than itself and which is not man-made. ... A planetary ring is a ring of dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region. ... A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of the magnetic field in the vicinity of the instrument. ...

Asteroid belt

The 2.5 kilometer-wide asteroid 132524 APL, photographed by the New Horizons probe

Because of the need to conserve fuel for possible encounters with Kuiper-belt objects subsequent to the Pluto flyby, intentional encounters with objects in the asteroid belt were not planned. Subsequent to launch, the New Horizons team scanned the spacecraft's trajectory to determine if any asteroids would, by chance, be close enough for observation. In May 2006 it was discovered that New Horizons would pass close to the tiny asteroid 132524 APL on June 13, 2006. Closest approach occurred at 4:05 UTC at a distance of 101,867 kilometers. The asteroid was imaged by Ralph (use of LORRI at that time was not possible due to proximity to sun), which gave the team a chance to exercise Ralph's capabilities, and make observations of the asteroid's composition as well as light and phase curves. The asteroid's size was estimated to be 2.5 kilometers in diameter.^[22][23][24] Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The two spots in this image are two images of asteroid taken on June 11 (bottom, at a distance of 3. ... The Kuiper belt, derived from data from the Minor Planet Center. ... For other uses, see Asteroid (disambiguation). ... The two spots in this image are two images of asteroid taken on June 11 (bottom, at a distance of 3. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Neptune Trojans

New Horizons' trajectory to Pluto passes near Neptune's trailing Lagrange point ("L₅"). A number of "Trojan asteroids" have been discovered in these regions recently, although it is not yet known if New Horizons will pass close to any. If any asteroids are found to be close enough to be studied, observations will be planned.^[25] Unfortunately, the Lagrange point comes shortly before the Pluto encounter. Depending on where the asteroid is along the spacecraft trajectory, New Horizons may not have significant downlink bandwidth, and thus free memory, for Trojan data. A contour plot of the effective potential (the Hills Surfaces) of a two-body system (the Sun and Earth here), showing the five Lagrange points. ... Image of the Trojan asteroids in front of and behind Jupiter along its orbital path. ...

Kuiper-Belt objects

New Horizons is designed to fly past one or more Kuiper-belt objects after passing Pluto. Because the flight path is determined by the Pluto flyby, with only minimal hydrazine remaining, objects must be found within a cone, extending from Pluto, of less than a degree's width, within 55 AU. Past 55 AU, the communications link becomes too weak, and the RTG wattage will have decayed significantly enough to hinder observations. Desirable KBOs will be well over 50 km in diameter, neutral in color (to compare with the reddish Pluto), and, if possible, possess a moon. Because the population of KBOs appears quite large, multiple objects may qualify. Large ground telescopes will find suitable objects up until the Pluto flyby; the Pluto aim point, plus some thruster firing, will then determine the subsequent trajectory. KBO flyby observations will be similar to those at Pluto, but reduced due to lower light, power, and bandwidth. The Kuiper belt, derived from data from the Minor Planet Center. ... Hydrazine is the chemical compound with formula N2H4. ... The astronomical unit (AU or au or a. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the radioactive element. ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government responsible for energy policy and nuclear safety. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Timeline of solar system exploration
• Outer solar system
• List of spaceflights (2006)

Image File history File links Animation2. ... Timeline of solar system exploration organized by date of launch. ... The outer solar system (as opposed to the outer planets) is that part of the Solar System which begins at roughly the orbit of Neptune and terminates at maximum orbit distance, approximately one Light Year from the sun in terms of orbital measurements. ... This is a list of spacecraft launches in 2006, including launches scheduled through to the end of the year. ...

Media

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

New Horizons

A paper model of the New Horizons spacecraft can be built from the sheets below:

• Paper cutouts (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
• Instructions

A paper model of Pluto, and a dynamic model of the Pluto-Charon system, can be built by visiting: New Horizons Models Adobe Acrobat is a family of application software by Adobe Systems. ...

External links

• Official New Horizons mission website
• New Horizons (PKB) Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration
• New Horizons animation of visit through Jupiter's magnetic field
• Deep Space Network @ Home a proposal that could increase the data return at Pluto-Charon.
• New Horizons APOD
• The New Horizons spacecraft – Spaceflight Now, January 8, 2006 (from the NASA mission press kit)
• How the mission got its name
• NSSDC page
• Johns Hopkins Magazine - Mission: Pluto
• New Horizons Set To Launch With Minimum Amount of Plutonium
• NASA's New Horizons mission also a new horizon for INL
• Unofficial "Where is New Horizons Now?"
• Keep tracking New Horizons on your Dashboard (Mac OS X Tiger)
• Student-Built Dust Detector Renamed Venetia, Honoring Girl Who Named Ninth Planet

v • d • e Spaceflight missions to Asteroids
Flybys	Galileo · NEAR Shoemaker · Deep Space 1 · Stardust · New Horizons · Rosetta · Cassini	Spaceflight Portal
Orbiters	NEAR Shoemaker · Hayabusa · Rosetta · Dawn
Landers	NEAR Shoemaker · MINERVA (failed) · Philae
Proposed	Osiris · Don Quijote
Italics indicate active missions

v • d • e Pluto
Moons	Charon · Nix · Hydra
Classification	Planet · Dwarf planet · Definition of planet · 2006 definition of planet · Kuiper belt · Trans-Neptunian object
Exploration	New Horizons · Pluto Fast Flyby · Pluto Kuiper Express
Discovery	Percival Lowell · Venetia Phair · Roger Putnam · Clyde Tombaugh
Other topics	Pluto in fiction · Solar eclipses on Pluto

is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ISS in earth orbit. ... For other uses, see Asteroid (disambiguation). ... Galileo is prepared for mating with the IUS booster Galileo and Inertial Upper Stage being deployed after being launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. ... Artists conception of the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft Near Earth Asteroid Eros as seen from the NEAR spacecraft. ... The spacecraft Deep Space 1 was launched October 24, 1998 on top of a Delta II rocket. ... An artists rendering of Stardust (NASA image) The Stardust capsule with cometary and interstellar samples landed at the U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range at 10:10 UTC (15 January 2006) in the Bonneville Salt Flats. ... Rosetta is a European Space Agency-led unmanned space mission launched in 2004 intended to study the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... Source : NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Artists conception of the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft Near Earth Asteroid Eros as seen from the NEAR spacecraft. ... For other uses, see Hayabusa (disambiguation). ... Rosetta is a European Space Agency-led unmanned space mission launched in 2004 intended to study the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. ... The Dawn Mission, launched on September 27, 2007, is NASAs mission to send a robotic space probe to the two most massive members of the asteroid belt: the asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. ... Artists conception of the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft Near Earth Asteroid Eros as seen from the NEAR spacecraft. ... For other uses, see Hayabusa (disambiguation). ... Philae (previously known as RoLand) is the name of the lander that accompanies the Rosetta spacecraft. ... Don Quijote is a proposed space probe under consideration by the European Space Agency, which would study the effects of impacting a spacecraft into an asteroid. ... The exploration of Jupiter has consisted of a number of automated spacecraft visiting the planet since 1973. ... For other uses, see Jupiter (disambiguation). ... Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt, and was the first spacecraft to make direct observations of Jupiter. ... Position of Pioneer 10 and 11 Pioneer 11 was the second mission to investigate Jupiter and the outer solar system and the first to explore the planet Saturn and its main rings. ... For the album by The Verve, see Voyager 1 (album). ... Trajectory Voyager 2 is an unmanned interplanetary spacecraft, launched on August 20, 1977. ... Ulysses spacecraft Ulysses is an unmanned probe designed to study the Sun at all latitudes. ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... Galileo is prepared for mating with the IUS booster Galileo and Inertial Upper Stage being deployed after being launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. ... Galileo being deployed after being launched by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-34 mission Galileo was an unmanned spacecraft sent by NASA to study the planet Jupiter and its moons. ... Juno at Jupiter Juno is a NASA mission to Jupiter planned to cost roughly $700 million and scheduled to launch by June 30, 2010. ... Artistss Conception of Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter The Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) was a proposed spacecraft designed to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Europa (moon). ... Pioneer H is an unlaunched unmanned space mission that was part of the US Pioneer program. ... For other uses, see Pluto (disambiguation). ... Hubble image of the Plutonian system Pluto has three known moons. ... Charon (shair-É™n or kair-É™n (key), IPA , Greek Χάρων), discovered in 1978, is, depending on the definition employed, either the largest moon of Pluto or one member of a double dwarf planet with Pluto being the other member. ... Nix (formerly known as S/2005 P 2), is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... Hydra (formerly known as S/2005 P 1) is a natural satellite of Pluto. ... This article is about the astronomical term. ... Artists impression of Pluto (background) and Charon (foreground). ... Photograph of the planet Neptune and its moon Triton, taken by Voyager 2 as it entered the outer solar system. ... The final definition left the solar system with eight planets. ... The Kuiper belt, derived from data from the Minor Planet Center. ... A trans-Neptunian object (TNO) is any object in the solar system that orbits the sun at a greater distance on average than Neptune. ... The Pluto Fast Flyby was a space mission meant to preform a flyby of the dwarf planet Pluto. ... The Pluto Kuiper Express mission, originally designated the Pluto Fast Flyby, was designed to fly by and make studies of the planet Pluto and its satellite Charon in 2012 and fly on to encounter one or more of the large bodies in the Kuiper belt beyond the orbit of Pluto. ... Percival Lowell (March 13, 1855 – November 12, 1916) was an author, mathematician, and esteemed astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the work and theories that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after... Venetia Phair at age 11 Venetia Katherine Douglas Phair (née Burney) (born 1919) was the first person to suggest the name Pluto for the planet[1] discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh in 1930. ... Roger Lowell Putnam (December 19, 1893 - November 24, 1972) was an American politician and businessman. ... An image of Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. ... Artists impression of Pluto and its tidally locked near-twin Charon. ... The Sun disappears behind Charons surface during the total solar eclipse on Pluto of 23rd December 2111 Eclipses of the Sun on Pluto are caused when its natural satellite, Charon passes infront of the Sun, blocking its light. ...