# New Horizons

> NASA probe that visited Pluto and Kuiper belt object 486958 Arrokoth

**Wikidata**: [Q48461](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48461)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Horizons)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/new-horizons

## Summary
New Horizons is a NASA space probe launched in 2006 to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. It conducted the first flyby of Pluto in 2015 and later studied Kuiper Belt object 486958 Arrokoth in 2019.

## Key Facts
- Launched on January 19, 2006, from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41 aboard an Atlas V 551 rocket
- Weighs 478 kg at launch (401 kg dry weight, 29.62 kg payload weight)
- Powered by a GPHS-RTG nuclear power source providing 245.7 watts
- First spacecraft to explore Pluto, conducting a flyby on July 14, 2015
- First spacecraft to explore a Kuiper Belt object beyond Pluto, flying by 486958 Arrokoth on January 1, 2019
- Operated by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for NASA
- Part of NASA's New Frontiers program, preceded by Juno and followed by subsequent missions
- Currently traveling beyond 58.96 astronomical units from Earth as of January 2024

## FAQs
### Q: What was New Horizons' primary mission?
A: New Horizons' primary mission was to conduct the first detailed reconnaissance of Pluto and its moons, then continue exploring the Kuiper Belt. It successfully completed its Pluto flyby in 2015 and extended mission to study Kuiper Belt object 486958 Arrokoth in 2019.

### Q: How fast is New Horizons traveling?
A: New Horizons is one of the fastest spacecraft ever launched, traveling at approximately 36,000 mph (58,000 km/h) relative to the Sun. This speed allowed it to reach Pluto in just 9.5 years after launch.

### Q: Is New Horizons still operational?
A: Yes, New Horizons remains operational and continues to transmit data back to Earth. It's currently exploring the outer regions of the Kuiper Belt and heliosphere, studying the environment far beyond Pluto.

## Why It Matters
New Horizons represents a landmark achievement in space exploration, fundamentally changing our understanding of the outer solar system. As the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, it provided humanity's first detailed views of these distant worlds, revealing complex geology, diverse surface features, and evidence of ongoing geological processes on Pluto. The mission demonstrated NASA's capability to execute long-duration deep space missions with precision, traveling over 3 billion miles to reach its targets. Beyond its scientific discoveries, New Horizons captured the public imagination and inspired a new generation of space enthusiasts. The data it continues to collect from the Kuiper Belt helps scientists understand the formation and evolution of our solar system, providing insights into the conditions that existed during its earliest stages. As one of only five spacecraft on escape trajectories leaving the solar system, New Horizons also serves as a messenger to the stars, carrying information about humanity into interstellar space.

## Notable For
- First spacecraft to explore Pluto and its moons in detail
- First spacecraft to explore a Kuiper Belt object beyond Pluto
- Fastest spacecraft ever launched from Earth at the time of its launch
- Longest-distance space photography record holder (photographing the Kuiper Belt object 486958 Arrokoth from over 4 billion miles away)
- Continues to operate and transmit data from the outer reaches of the solar system

## Body
### Mission Design and Launch
New Horizons was designed and built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory for NASA's New Frontiers program. The spacecraft launched on January 19, 2006, aboard an Atlas V 551 rocket provided by International Launch Services. The launch vehicle included a Star 48 third stage to achieve the necessary velocity for a solar system escape trajectory. The mission cost approximately $700 million and was planned as a 9.5-year journey to Pluto.

### Scientific Instruments
The spacecraft carries seven scientific instruments:
- Ralph: Visible and infrared imager/spectrometer
- Alice: Ultraviolet imaging spectrometer
- REX: Radio Science Experiment
- LORRI: Long Range Reconnaissance Imager
- SWAP: Solar Wind Around Pluto
- PEPSSI: Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation
- SDC: Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter

### Major Milestones
After launch, New Horizons conducted a gravity assist maneuver at Jupiter in February 2007, gaining approximately 9000 mph in velocity. The spacecraft entered hibernation mode for most of its cruise to Pluto, waking periodically for system checks. On July 14, 2015, New Horizons conducted its historic Pluto flyby, passing within 7,800 miles of the dwarf planet's surface. The spacecraft then continued into the Kuiper Belt, successfully flying by 486958 Arrokoth on January 1, 2019, at a distance of approximately 2,200 miles.

### Current Status and Extended Mission
New Horizons continues its journey through the Kuiper Belt and into interstellar space. The spacecraft remains in contact with Earth through NASA's Deep Space Network, transmitting data at approximately 1-2 kilobits per second. The extended mission focuses on studying the heliosphere's outer boundaries, observing additional Kuiper Belt objects from afar, and potentially conducting another close flyby of a Kuiper Belt object if a suitable target is identified. The spacecraft carries a CD-ROM with the names of over 400,000 people who signed up to "travel" with New Horizons, along with other cultural artifacts as part of humanity's message to the cosmos.

## References

1. [Source](https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/new-horizons.htm)
2. [Source](https://newhorizons.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Spacecraft.php)
3. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
4. Jonathan's Space Report
5. [Source](https://www.boulder.swri.edu/~tcase/Ottman-Hersman_IECEC_paper.pdf)
6. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
7. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons/)
8. [Source](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%27-98%27&CENTER=%27@2486958%27)
9. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasas-three-billion-mile-journey-to-pluto-reaches-historic-encounter)
10. [Source](https://science.nasa.gov/mission/new-horizons)
11. [Source](https://www.ilslaunch.com/ils-off-to-fast-start-in-2006/)
12. [Source](http://www.pluto.jhuapl.edu/mission/mission_timeline.php)
13. [Source](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/spacecraft/index.html)
14. BBC Things
15. [Source](https://pds.nasa.gov/ds-view/pds/viewContext.jsp?identifier=urn%3Anasa%3Apds%3Acontext%3Ainstrument_host%3Aspacecraft.nh&version=1.2)
16. [Source](https://www.boulder.swri.edu/pkb/ssr/ssr-payload-overview.pdf)
17. [Source](https://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Spacecraft/Systems-and-Components.php)
18. [New Horizons Pluto Kuiper Belt Flyby](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=2006-001A)
19. [Source](http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons/)
20. [Source](https://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/Where-is-New-Horizons.php)
21. [Source](https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/toolkit_docs/C/req/naif_ids.html)
22. [Source](https://www.google.com/doodles/new-horizons-pluto-flyby)
23. YouTube API
24. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)