The spacecraft "New Horizons" orbited Neptune: Pluto is getting closer

On Habré several times already published materials about the space station "New Horizons", which is gradually approaching its goal: Pluto, once called the planet.

The station was launched eight years ago, on January 19, 2006, and now the device is gradually approaching Pluto at a speed of about 15 kilometers per second. In addition to Pluto, "New Horizons" will have to explore other celestial bodies in this cosmic region.
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Approximately in the middle of July of this year, the operators carried out a correction of the speed of the apparatus, thanks to which we can now speak about the exact date of arrival of the station to Pluto: this will happen on July 15, 2015. It was then that the station would pass at a distance of 12.5 thousand kilometers from the surface of the planetoid.



It may well be that another speed correction will be carried out next year. Scientists believe that the new correction will allow to avoid a collision with possible neighbors of Pluto in this area - small objects, which so far it is impossible to see.

It is planned that during the approach to Pluto, the camera of the device will be able to carry out a detailed survey of Pluto and Charon, the satellite of Pluto, with details ranging from 1 to 40 kilometers, as well as other work, including drawing up a temperature map of the surface and studying the atmosphere of Pluto and Charon. The likely amount transferred from the board of the "New Horizons" will be about 5 GB.



After Pluto, the station will go to the pre-selected objects in the Kuiper belt. So far, scientists have not decided exactly whether New Horizons will explore one or more sites in this region.

A few days later, on August 29, "New Horizons" will be put into sleep mode, in order to maximize fuel and energy savings. The device will wake up in the winter of 2015.

The current location of the device can be found here .