Good news program , outer space exploration sports fan . With the Juno ballistic capsule about to arrive at Jupiter today , NASA has also confirmed that the New Horizons mission has been granted an extension .
This mean that the spacecraft will be explore another object after Pluto , a Kuiper Belt Object ( KBO ) less than 45 kilometers ( 30 miles ) across called 2014 MU69 . It is place about 1.6 billion kilometers ( 1 billion mile ) further from the Sun than Pluto .
The decision is not wholly surprising – after all , why broadcast a spacecraft on a decade - foresightful delegacy to the kayoed Solar System if you are n’t going to make the most if it ? But it ’s still very welcome news to the squad working on the commission .
“ We ’re excited to go on onward into the sullen depths of the taboo Solar System to a science target that was n’t even disclose when the spacecraft plunge , ” tell NASA ’s Director of Planetary Science Jim Green in astatement .
The flyby is go to take place on January 1 , 2019 , with New Horizons passing nearer than itgot to Pluto . But while the file name extension has just been approved , the New Horizons squad in reality start design for it since last class , perform adjustmentsin the spacecraft ’s trajectory in October and November to control it could reach the target without using up all of its fuel .
On its way to this body , New Horizons will also be observe about two XII other KBOs from a much greater length . This will let in distant views of Eris , a dwarf planet exchangeable in sizing to Pluto . Although New Horizons is further from Eris than Earth , its dissimilar advantage point will give us views of Eris that are not possible from our base planet .
Studying these distant objects , believe to be oddment of the early Solar System , could give us more clues as to our own beginnings . And the images and datum repay are sure to be fascinating , although it ’s improbable 2014 MU69 will be as exciting to see at as Pluto .
It ’s not just New Horizons that received some beneficial word , though . NASA also approved extensions for seven other missions , which admit the Mars rover Opportunity and Curiosity . But , lamentably , one missionary station did n’t get the extension it was hop for . The team behind the Dawn spacecraft , presently in orbital cavity around Ceres in the asteroid belt , had been hop to mail it to a young destination , an asteroid call Adeona . That extension has not been approved .
Still , it ’s great to see New Horizons getting the support it deserves as it continues its hardy mission out of the Solar System . Considering how many surprise Pluto has thrown up , the exciting skill from this mission may have only just begun .
