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Missions Encyclopedia Entry 1780211824

** The **New Horizons** mission is a historic space exploration project that successfully flew by Pluto, providing the first close-up observations of the dwarf planet and its moons. ## Overview The **New Horizons** mission is a groundbreaking space exploration project launched by NASA in 2006 with the primary objective of exploring the Pluto system. The spacecraft, designed and built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, was launched on January 19, 2006, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission was a culmination of decades of research and planning, with the goal of expanding our understanding of the outer reaches of the solar system. **New Horizons** was designed to take advantage of a rare alignment of the planets, which allowed the spacecraft to use a gravity assist from Jupiter to gain the necessary speed to reach Pluto. The spacecraft's trajectory was carefully planned to ensure that it would fly by Pluto at a distance of approximately 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers), providing scientists with a wealth of data about the dwarf planet's composition, geology, and atmosphere. ## History/Background The concept of exploring Pluto dates back to the 1930s, when astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered the dwarf planet. However, it wasn't until the 1990s that NASA began seriously considering a mission to explore Pluto. In 2003, NASA selected the **New Horizons** mission as the winner of a competition to explore the Pluto system. The mission was initially planned to launch in 2004, but delays and budget constraints pushed the launch date back to 2006. ## Key Information **New Horizons** was equipped with a suite of advanced scientific instruments, including a high-resolution camera, a spectrometer, and a radio science experiment. The spacecraft's flyby of Pluto on July 14, 2015, provided scientists with a wealth of data about the dwarf planet's composition, geology, and atmosphere. The mission revealed a diverse range of features, including mountains, valleys, and even evidence of recent geological activity. Some of the key findings from the **New Horizons** mission include: * **Pluto's surface**: The mission revealed a surface composed of nitrogen ice mixed with darker organic material, with features such as mountains, valleys, and even evidence of recent geological activity. * **Moons**: **New Horizons** discovered five moons orbiting Pluto, including Charon, Nix, Hydra, Kerberos, and Styx. * **Atmosphere**: The mission detected a thin atmosphere around Pluto, composed mostly of nitrogen gas. * **Composition**: Scientists found evidence of water ice and methane on Pluto's surface, suggesting that the dwarf planet may have a subsurface ocean. ## Significance The **New Horizons** mission marked a major milestone in space exploration, providing the first close-up observations of Pluto and its moons. The mission's findings have significantly expanded our understanding of the outer reaches of the solar system, revealing a complex and diverse range of features on Pluto's surface. The mission's success has also paved the way for future exploration of the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies and small celestial objects beyond Neptune's orbit. INFOBOX: - **Name:** New Horizons - **Type:** Spacecraft - **Date:** January 19, 2006 (launch) - **Location:** Pluto system - **Known For:** First close-up observations of Pluto and its moons TAGS: **Space Exploration**, **Pluto**, **Kuiper Belt**, **Dwarf Planet**, **Spacecraft**, **NASA**, **Jupiter**, **Gravity Assist**, **Astronomy**, **Astrophysics**