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Missions Encyclopedia Entry 1777949777

** The **Missions Encyclopedia Entry 1777949777** refers to the **New Horizons** spacecraft mission, a historic flyby of the dwarf planet **Pluto** and its moons, providing groundbreaking insights into the Kuiper Belt region. ## Overview Launched on January 19, 2006, **New Horizons** is a space exploration mission designed to study the **Kuiper Belt**, a region of icy bodies and small celestial objects beyond the orbit of **Neptune**. The mission is a collaborative effort between NASA and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). **New Horizons** is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, including cameras, spectrometers, and a radio science experiment, to gather data on the composition, geology, and atmosphere of **Pluto** and its moons. The **New Horizons** spacecraft is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), which converts the heat generated by the decay of radioactive isotopes into electricity. This unique power source allows the spacecraft to operate for extended periods, making it an ideal choice for long-duration missions. The spacecraft's design also features a high-gain antenna, a digital computer, and a data storage system, enabling it to transmit data back to Earth. ## History/Background The concept of a **Pluto** flyby mission dates back to the 1990s, when astronomers began to realize the importance of studying the dwarf planet and its moons. In 2003, NASA selected the **New Horizons** mission proposal, led by Dr. Alan Stern, as the winner of the **New Frontiers** program. The mission was initially planned to fly by **Pluto** in 2015, but the launch date was later moved up to 2006 to take advantage of a favorable alignment of the **Pluto** system and the Earth. ## Key Information **New Horizons** flew by **Pluto** on July 14, 2015, at a distance of approximately 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers). The spacecraft's instruments gathered an unprecedented amount of data on the dwarf planet's surface, atmosphere, and moons. Some of the key findings include: * **Pluto**'s surface is composed primarily of nitrogen ice, with evidence of recent geological activity. * The dwarf planet's atmosphere is composed mostly of nitrogen gas, with a thin layer of methane ice. * **Pluto**'s moons, including **Charon**, **Nix**, **Hydra**, and **Kerberos**, are thought to have formed through a process of gravitational capture. * The **New Horizons** spacecraft detected a possible subsurface ocean on **Pluto**, which could potentially harbor life. ## Significance The **New Horizons** mission has significantly expanded our understanding of the **Kuiper Belt** region and the dwarf planet **Pluto**. The mission has also provided valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system. The discovery of a possible subsurface ocean on **Pluto** has implications for the search for life beyond Earth. **INFOBOX:** - **Name:** New Horizons - **Type:** Spacecraft mission - **Date:** January 19, 2006 (launch) - **Location:** Kuiper Belt region - **Known For:** Historic flyby of **Pluto** and its moons **TAGS:** **New Horizons**, **Pluto**, **Kuiper Belt**, **Space Exploration**, **NASA**, **Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory**, **Astronomy**, **Astrophysics**, **Dwarf Planet**, **Spacecraft Mission**