Updates NASA New Horizons Mission Updates

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
May 1, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



The PI's Perspective: Green Beacons for a Golden Bird

Their spacecraft is cruising through a long stretch of electronic slumber, but New Horizons team members are anything but quiescent. Planning for the Pluto encounter is in full swing, writes Principal Investigator Alan Stern, and a full range of spacecraft system checks and tests are on tap for later this month.

Click here for the full story, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspectives/piPerspective_current.php.



New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

N.

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News

Pluto Mission News
May 21, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



Storm Winds Blow in Jupiter’s Little Red Spot

Using data from the New Horizons spacecraft and two telescopes at Earth, an international team of scientists has found that one of the solar system’s largest and newest storms – Jupiter’s Little Red Spot – has some of the highest wind speeds ever detected on any planet. The New Horizons researchers combined observations from their Pluto-bound spacecraft, which flew past Jupiter in February 2007; data from the Hubble Space Telescope orbiting Earth, and the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, perched on an Atacama Desert mountain in Chile.

Read the full story here, or visit: http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2008/080520.asp



Tombaugh's Accomplishments: A True Work of Art

As part of a weekend-long festival, the town of Streator, Illinois – birthplace of Clyde Tombaugh – will dedicate a mural to Pluto's discoverer on May 25. Designed by artist John Betken, the mural depicts early astronomers, Tombaugh as a young stargazer on the family farm, his days at the Lowell Observatory (where he discovered Pluto), and the New Horizons spacecraft on its voyage toward Pluto. Annette Tombaugh-Sitze and Alden Tombaugh – Clyde’s daughter and son – will offer insight into their father’s life and discoveries.

Visit the Streator tourism site for more information.




New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

 

[Notebook]

Coo, my first spam, I think. Can't see the link to Pluto Mission News?

N.

 

[Piper]

The links don't seem to work for me, or my browser (Firefox) doesn't support them at least.

 

[thomasantony]

Hey just copy the "normal" http URL part from inside the mhttp urls

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
May 29, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



Milestones Ahead: New Horizons Set to Cross Saturn’s Orbit

Last week, New Horizons woke up from its longest electronic hibernation period yet. And over the next 10 days, the New Horizons team will celebrate a trio of milestones on the spacecraft’s long journey to Pluto – including a crossing of Saturn’s orbit.

Most notably, however, on Sunday, June 8, the spacecraft will cross the orbit of Saturn, though Saturn itself is nowhere near the course New Horizons is following to Pluto. “This milestone is significant because the last time any spacecraft journeyed beyond Saturn was 27 years ago, in August 1981, when Voyager 2 passed Saturn on its way to encounters with Uranus and Neptune later in the 1980s,” says New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern.

For the full story, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/052908.htm



New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
June 9, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



New Horizons Ventures Beyond Saturn’s Orbit

New Horizons crossed the orbit of Saturn on June 8, passing yet another interplanetary milepost on its voyage to Pluto and the icy environs of the Kuiper Belt. Spinning in healthy, electronic hibernation, New Horizons became the first spacecraft to journey beyond Saturn’s orbit since Voyager 2 passed the ringed planet nearly 27 years ago.

For the full story, visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/060808.htm






New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

​

 

[Notebook]

New Horizons Team Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Charon’s Discovery

Pluto Mission News
July 2, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



New Horizons Team Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Charon’s Discovery

In July 1978, U.S. Naval Observatory astronomers James Christy and Robert Harrington announced their discovery of Pluto’s largest and first moon, Charon. “The historic discovery of Charon ushered in the modern understanding of Pluto as a double planet and the product of a giant collision that formed the system in much the same way as the Earth-moon system was formed,” says New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern.

For the full story, visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/070208.html




New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

 

[Notebook]

The PI's Perspective Journeying Beyond Saturn
July 29, 2008

http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspectives/piPerspective_current.php


N.

 

[James.Denholm]

Argh! Why do we bother? It's not even a planet!

Was it a planet when we launched the probe?

Actualy, I didn't even know of this. Now, I'm going to hold my breath until the fly-by... better idea - I'll go download the addon, and then do the mission in real-time. No quicksaves for me!

On the side: EEEK! What's with the funny protocol?

 

[agentgonzo]

Argh! Why do we bother? It's not even a planet!
Was it a planet when we launched the probe?

So? It's still a large KBO and there is a lot about the outer solar-system that we still don't know. NH is going to Pluto/Charon and then hopefully on to another one or more KBOs to tell us more about the ends of our solar system.

 

[Notebook]

In the three weeks since, New Horizons has hibernated uneventfully, sending green beacons every Monday while our spacecraft computer engineering team, led by Steve Williams of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, worked to diagnose why our main computer (called “C&DH-1”) had gotten itself hung up. Although this investigation is ongoing, we have held a review board and we are using test versions of the C & DH (Command and Data Handling) system to reproduce the failure here on the ground. I’ll update you on this when we know more.

Hopefully lots more Green Mondays, only ??years to go

N.

 

[James.Denholm]

So? It's still a large KBO and there is a lot about the outer solar-system that we still don't know. NH is going to Pluto/Charon and then hopefully on to another one or more KBOs to tell us more about the ends of our solar system.

I know, I know...

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
September 8, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



New Horizons Begins Annual Checkout

Last week New Horizons kicked off its annual checkout, a busy three months that will include system checks, instrument workouts, software uploads and other activities. Follow the progress of the "ACO" on the New Horizons Twitter site, http://twitter.com/newhorizons2015/.



New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.


Not sure I understand this 'twitter' thing, but hopefully in the future...

N.

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
September 12, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



'Brain Transplant' Successful as Spacecraft Checkout Continues

The first major order of business in New Horizons' second annual checkout was accomplished this week, as operators uploaded an upgraded version of the software that runs the spacecraft’s Command and Data Handling system.

"Our 'brain transplant' was a success," says New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern. "The new software – which guides how New Horizons carries out commands and collects and stores data – is now on the spacecraft’s main computer and operating, over a billion miles from home!"

Click here for the full story, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/091208.php.




New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

Pluto Mission News
September 16, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



NASA Salutes New Horizons Team

The New Horizons team – including hundreds of technicians, engineers, scientists, managers, educators and communications specialists from more than 20 institutions across the country – has been given the NASA Group Achievement Award for creating and launching the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

“New Horizons was the first in a new class of missions, the New Frontiers program, which proved we can do far-ranging science at lower costs,” said James Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “This mission is mind-blowing . . . and it will change the way we think about the origins and evolution of our solar system.”


Click here for the full story, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/091608.php.



New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

 

[James.Denholm]

*whistles appreciatively*

It's astounding to think that you can transmit data over that distance with radiowaves and not have any corruption or anything!

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
October 7, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu



[SIZE=+0]The PI's Perspective: 1,000 Days on the Road to Pluto – Time Flies and So Does New Horizons!

October 15 will be the 1,000th day of flight for NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. In his latest blog entry, mission Principal Investigator Alan Stern looks back on the flurry of activity since New Horizons’ incredible launch in January 2006, and brings us up to speed on the progress of Annual Checkout 2, which the New Horizons team is conducting through mid-December.

Click here for the full story, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspective.php.



New Horizons at 1,000 Days: What Do You Think?

Can you believe that next week, New Horizons will be 1,000 days into its historic voyage to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt? There’s still a ways to go – more than 2,400 days until the arrival at Pluto – but New Horizons has already marked several accomplishments: the fastest launch from Earth, the first pictures of asteroid APL, the pinpoint gravity assist and breathtaking science encounter at Jupiter.

What’s your take on where New Horizons has been, and where it’s headed? Use our online form to share your thoughts and reflections – in 200 words or less – on the mission’s first 1,000 days “on the road” to Pluto and beyond. Then keep an eye on the New Horizons Web site for the responses.

Click here for the form, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/eForms/1000Days.php.

[/SIZE]


New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
October 23, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu

The PI's Perspective: Nine Mementos to the Ninth Planet

You might have heard that New Horizons was carrying several commemorative items from Earth on its voyage to Pluto and beyond -- some of them have even been featured on the New Horizons Web site. But do you know what they are? For the first time, New Horizons Principal Investigator Alan Stern covers the complete list of nine mementos placed on the spacecraft.

Read the full story here, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/overview/piPerspective.php?page=piPerspective_10_23_2008.

​

New Horizons at 1,000 Days: What Do You Think?

Last week, New Horizons reached the 1,000-day mark of its journey to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. That there's more than 2,400 days until the arrival at Pluto tells you enough about just how long a journey this is – but New Horizons has already marked several accomplishments: the fastest launch from Earth, the first pictures of asteroid APL, the pinpoint gravity assist and science encounter in the Jupiter system.

We'd like to hear your take on where New Horizons has been, and where it’s headed. Use our online form to share your thoughts and reflections – in 200 words or less – on the mission’s first 1,000 days “on the road” to Pluto and beyond. Then, check back in with the New Horizons Web site for the latest responses.

Click here for the form, or visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/eForms/1000Days.php.
Read what others have to say, at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/eForms/1000DaysResponses.php.




New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

 

[Notebook]

Pluto Mission News
November 8, 2008
http://pluto.jhuapl.edu

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SETI Radio Telescopes Track New Horizons

The New Horizons spacecraft has a new “audience” for the electronic signals it beams back to Earth.
In a successful demonstration of its growing capabilities, the Allen Telescope Array detected transmissions from New Horizons while the spacecraft was more than a billion miles from home. The SETI Institute routinely observes spacecraft such as New Horizons, which serve as an excellent test signal for confirming the correct functioning and effectiveness of the SETI signal-detection systems.
For the full story, visit: http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/news_center/news/110708.php.

________________________________________


New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt of rocky, icy objects beyond. Principal Investigator Alan Stern leads a mission team that includes the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Southwest Research Institute, Ball Aerospace Corporation, the Boeing Company, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford University, KinetX, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, University of Colorado, the U.S. Department of Energy, and a number of other firms, NASA centers and university partners. For more information on the mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu.

________________________________________

 

[tblaxland]

...Allen Telescope Array...

It must be a Freudian thing - I always read that as the Alien Telescope Array :lol: