New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
New Horizons: Pre-launch, launch and main cruise, Pluto and the Kuiper belt |
Feb 8 2005, 02:09 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 133 Joined: 29-January 05 Member No.: 161 |
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 -------------------- |
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Apr 7 2005, 05:29 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: 2-March 05 Member No.: 180 |
Kind of OT here, but I'd love to see them strap some solar sails onto the NH probe. Either that, or else do another probe for it. A solar sail craft might be going fairly fast by the time it'd make a pass by Pluto. Or maybe not, I don't know much about their actual acceleration rates, and max speeds. If there were enough light for it, deploy the sails after the Pluto flyby, and race out of the solar system in style.
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