Hum Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 (CNN) -- If all goes as planned, NASA will launch a space probe called New Horizons next week to capture the first up-close imagery of Pluto, its moons and a region of the outer solar system called the Kuiper Belt. Liftoff of the spacecraft atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket is set for 1:24 p.m. ET Tuesday from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. New Horizons will have a long road to travel -- some 3 billion miles. NASA's best-case scenario is that the trip to Pluto will take almost 10 years -- a long wait for the scientists and engineers who have designed the mission, but they say the payoff will be worth it. Scientists think these bodies are debris left over from the formation of the planets 4.6 billion years ago. Researchers theorized for decades that such an area probably existed in the solar system, but the first Kuiper Belt Object was not identified until 1992. Since then, hundreds have been found, some quite large. Planetary astronomers now believe Pluto is a Kuiper Belt Object. About the size of a baby grand piano, New Horizons will be the fastest spacecraft ever to depart Earth, according to NASA. It will pass the moon in nine hours and will reach Jupiter in a little more than a year, the space agency says. If all goes as planned, it then will execute a so-called "gravity assist" maneuver, using Jupiter as a slingshot to pick up speed. From there, it will take nine more years traveling in more or less a straight line to Pluto. With the spacecraft containing 24 pounds of radioactive plutonium-238, the New Horizons launch is somewhat controversial. The craft is not directly nuclear-powered, but the decay of the plutonium generates heat to fuel a battery, which in turn will power the probe as it moves far away from the sun to the outer reaches of the solar system. full story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 And the nail will finally be in the coffin about the existence of pluto as a planet or a Kuiper Belt Object. Exciting times, i must say. And hopefully we will get some awesome pictures of Jupiter as it passes by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Yeah about time they did this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted January 17, 2006 Author Share Posted January 17, 2006 (CNN) -- NASA is set to launch a space probe called New Horizons Tuesday to capture the first up-close imagery of Pluto, its moons and a region of the outer solar system called the Kuiper Belt. Liftoff of the spacecraft atop a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket is set for 1:24 p.m. ET from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. source: cnn.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrStoo Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 This is pretty exciting indeed, as we go further the more of our solar system's knowlege will be unlocked, i think it will be 1800 GMT time, i'll be watching nasatv hehe. And yes I hope we will see some wonderfull pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Watch it here: NASA TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnerhkjp Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Wow, passing the moon in nine hours. It takes me that long to get to the US. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten T Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Damm, Delayed again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intensecogitation Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 Let's hope that the weather and power cooperate. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soham Posted January 19, 2006 Share Posted January 19, 2006 details please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boffa Jones Veteran Posted January 19, 2006 Veteran Share Posted January 19, 2006 Launched finally on its huge journey to Pluto, soon to be "formerly known as the planet Pluto" Threads Merged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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