NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft: Getting to Pluto

In NASA'a second televised briefings on Tuesday, April 14, plans and upcoming activities about the agency’s mission to Pluto that will make the first-ever close flyby of the dwarf planet on July 14 were briefed.

Briefers described the mission’s goals and context, scientific objectives and encounter plans – including what images can be expected and when.

New Horizons already has covered more than 3 billion miles since it launched on Jan. 19, 2006. The spacecraft will pass Pluto at a speed of 31,000 mph taking thousands of images and making a wide range of science observations. At a distance of nearly 4 billion miles from Earth at flyby, it will take approximately 4.5 hours for data to reach Earth.

Participants for the 2:20-3:30 p.m. discussion were:

- James Green, director of Planetary Science, NASA Headquarters
- Glen Fountain, New Horizons Project Manager, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland
- Hal Weaver, New Horizons Project Scientist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland
- Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado

[SomeGuy-nrid]

This fellow at 19:00 minutes in is so concise thorough in his stating and accounting for the risks. Simplifying by organization and preparation the chance of success into steps. I get the impression that few others, if any one else could do better.
I enjoyed listening to the planing and considerations that were involved.

[MelomaniaDJs]

I can't believe these people show there faces we know your names and everything about you. Do you actually sleep at night we know your game

[ThatManWasTheRyback]

Ive been waiting so many years but its finally getting close

[MultiShampain]

these liars should be put on trial for the extortion racket they promote

[subliminaldirection]

Fear about Nibiru?Falsehood missions...paranoia:)

[ShyGirl]

32:00 - about 37 is where it really got me excited. Good stuff...

[krakenhits]

Leave this planet! Doesn't mean we all need to go but it's a step towards surviving as a species. We will for surely always have problems on earth but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a space program. We will eventually over populate and maybe earth could just be the blueprint of our potential!!! Maybe we will find another life sustaining planet and we can learn to inhabit more than one planet. Awesome to just think about never mind one day actually doing it. Anyone who thinks we shouldn't do this is just holding back the true human potential and spirt because of being scared or religious purposes. I say any God that would put this all before us just to tease us when we for surely have and will have the capability of the traveling to distant planets someday would be a god I'm not so sure about. If God exists he would want us to always seek the truth and what better way than to explore and seek out into uncharted space!

[YouTubebingewatcher]

I'm so glad to be alive for this piece of history.

[theandroid-ddpm]

I wonder how dirty the satellite is now. Would it be clean because of the vacuum, or would it be littered with dust or rock? Sorry, kinda off topic.

[DavidODuvall]

An excellent presentation by an excellent panel.  The presentation was very informative.  Thank you.

[theandroid-ddpm]

I gotta do math to see how long it would take to receive the pictures. Over 9 hours obviously if Pluto is 9 light hours away.

[wolfkotenberg]

well spent funds. Polititians need to know NASA got thier stuff together

[Mycraftcapt]

When will Horizon take the first photo of Pluto ?