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

[Guest_BruceMoomaw_*]

Personally -- and speaking as someone who (to my continuing amazement) apparently did play a major role in getting NASA to reverse its original rejection of this probe, through my series of SpaceDaily articles (details on request) -- I remain very uneasy about launching something as toxic as Pu-238 unless it's absolutely necessary, and I would hope they can hold it to an absolute minimum in future missions. For instance, not a single one of the four proposed highest-priority New Frontiers concepts after New Horizons -- including the Jupiter polar orbiter -- requires it. I'm not wildly happy about their putting it on MSL; I think there might very well be ways to make a solar power system work effectively(including dust-cleaning mechanisms and concentrator mirrors).

Actually, I'm a lot less uneasy about orbiting nuclear reactors, since those use U-235 -- which is normally extremely non-radioactive -- as their fuel, and so don't start producing dangerous radioisotopes until they've actually been turned on and allowed to run a while. Put them into a high Earth orbit before you do that and they are no danger whatsoever.

[MiniTES]

Personally -- and speaking as someone who (to my continuing amazement) apparently did play a major role in getting NASA to reverse its original rejection of this probe, through my series of SpaceDaily articles (details on request) -- I remain very uneasy about launching something as toxic as Pu-238 unless it's absolutely necessary, and I would hope they can hold it to an absolute minimum in future missions.  For instance, not a single one of the four proposed highest-priority New Frontiers concepts after New Horizons -- including the Jupiter polar orbiter -- requires it.  I'm not wildly happy about their putting it on MSL; I think there might very well be ways to make a solar power system work effectively(including dust-cleaning mechanisms and concentrator mirrors).

Actually, I'm a lot less uneasy about orbiting nuclear reactors, since those use U-235 -- which is normally extremely non-radioactive -- as their fuel, and so don't start producing dangerous radioisotopes until they've actually been turned on and allowed to run a while.  Put them into a high Earth orbit before you do that and they are no danger whatsoever.

Can you say "RORSAT"?