New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt Options

[cIclops]

Yes it's happening after all these years, the mission to the last planet!

And maybe to celebrate the confirmation of budget, NASA approval preparations and the fueling of the RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator), there is an updated web site at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/

Launch will be January 2006 with arrival at the Pluto Charon system July 2015 (mark your calender!) and then on through the Kuiper belt during 2016-2020 and beyond.

20.8-centimeter telescope for 100m resolution at closest approach
IR/UV spectrometers
2 x 8GB data recorders
data rate: 768 bps (sic) to 70m DSN
465kg including fuel
$650m

336 days to launch

[RNeuhaus]

Thanks to ljk4-1, dvandorn, remcook and antoniseb for the interesting replies. I agree that these replies are not of 100% focused on the above topic and somewhat related. At the beginning of this topic there were a very good comments between Doug and Marcel about the Delta-V for News Horizon to be captured by Pluto. The only solution what I have in the mind is that the spaceship can travel as fast as possible and be able to insert into the orbit is by sending two parts. The first part with enough combustible cargo to brake the News Horizon spacecraft before inserting to Pluto must be launched with anticipated time and with lower speed so that the spacecraft New Horizons which is launched later at with higher speed be able to catch it and dock it at the calculated distance previous reaching to Pluto for speed, mass and Delta-V in order to insert into the Pluto Orbit.

However, now I see, according to Bruce's note', is that the objective of the mission is not to only visit to Pluto but also to visit others "asteroides" or "planets" of Kipus Belt Oordt. Hence, the New Horizons spacecraft will flyby Pluto and the moon Charon in the interval of 2 hours. So short time to capture all needed information ? to take pictures on all surfaces, take spectometer and magnetometer for all surface too? with just only 2 hours??? at the closest distance.

The other thing that I am uncomfortable is that none has told which "asteroide" or "planet" is New Horizons spacecraft is planning to visit...after Pluto. I guess it will scan for any to discover on its way like Voyager in reaching to heliosphere...

Rodolfo

[Bob Shaw]

Rodolfo:

To get out there in a reasonable timescale does require a fast flyby of the target, although it *would* be possible to design a spacecraft with an engine aboard which would allow it's velocity to be cut before making a flyby (as was indeed the plan with the Advanced Mariner studies, in order to give more time in contact with the (short-lived) Mariner Mars Lander, and you could even say that the current Japanese comet probe is adopting something like that approach). Maybe such a scheme would be possible in the future, but for now we must be glad for what we're going to get - New Horizons is lucky to fly at all.

As regards post-Pluto targets, there was an earlier discussion on here where either Alan Stern or one of his colleagues commented on the expected levels of hydrazine at EOM and the potential 'cone' of encounters. My understanding is that despite the fact that there will be some Delta-V capability left, it's down to brute chance in large part, and (hopefully) some hard work before encounter, as the Pluto encounter geometry itself offers the greatest single opportunity to change the trajectory. Obviously, there'll be a tradeoff between Pluto science and potential KBO science which will be addressed closer to the time, just as with Voyager.

Bob Shaw