New Horizons

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NASA robotic spacecraft mission en-route to dwarf planet Pluto
First spacecraft to flyby the Pluto system


Mission Objectives

Map surface composition of Pluto and Charon
Characterize geology and morphology of Pluto and Charon
Characterize the neutral atmosphere of Pluto and its escape rate
Search for an atmosphere around Charon
Map surface temperatures on Pluto and Charon
Search for rings and additional satellites around Pluto
Plus... conduct similar investigations of one or more Kuiper Belt Objects


Key Mission dates


19th Jan 2006 - Launched using Saturn V rocket
28th Feb 2007 – Jupiter flyby
25th Feb 2010 – Half mission distance
Now – 21.23 AU from Sun, past orbit of Uranus
2nd Dec 2011 – Closest spacecraft ever to Pluto
14th Jul 2015 – Pluto- Charon system flyby
2025 – Communication page link will become very weak
2029 – Will leave solar system

Spacecraft Instruments

Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI)
Pluto Exploration Remote Sensing Investigation (PERSI)
Plasma and high energy particle spectrometer suite (PAM)
Radio Science Experiment (REX)
Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (VBSDC)