New Horizons I (and II!) Mission Update Thread

[lunatio_gordin]

oh. that's so cool! i just put my name in there. i really can't wait for this to get started...

 

[hansolo0]

if it launches in '06 and arrives in '15 isn't that 9 years??

 

[jmilsom]

Yes! Nine years! It seems there are two launch windows. The first in January 2006 with a Jupiter assist, will take 9 1/2 years. The second in February 2007, which would send the probe there directly and take 13 -14 years!!! <br /><br />There is a good page discussing launch windows and potential travel and arrival times here:<br /><br />http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/mission/mission_timeline.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[hansolo0]

we'll get the longer and later version, we always seem to <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" />

 

[jmilsom]

It really is a remarkable amount of time to wait. If the longer window is used, today’s preschoolers will get to see the results when they graduate! It will be worth the wait though to get images and data back from the farthest reaches of our solar system. Perhaps by then, we’ll have a little more knowledge of the Kuiper Belt and can have some even more distant rendezvous’. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Interesting, nearly missed this. Bumpty Bump.

 

[jmilsom]

Here is a link to the very best images that currently exist of Pluto and Charon and taken by the Hubble Telescope:<br /><br /> PLUTO <br /><br /><font color="orange"> Days 141 Hours 08 Mins 21 Secs 31 - until opening of primary launch window </font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[gregoire]

What are the odds that we'll have better images from ground or spaced based telescopes before NH1 gets there I wonder?

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"What are the odds that we'll have better images..."</font><br /><br />- Better than we have right this second?<br /> Almost certain.<br /><br />- Better than NH1 will be able to take as it flies by?<br /> Essentially impossible.<br /><br />I don't know which you were asking. I suspect the second, as the first is sort of a no-brainer. It would take something like OWL to have any chance of this -- and I'm pretty sure even it wouldn't be able to come close to fly-by resolutions. They don't think OWL will be completed until 2021, and even then are likely being optimistic.

 

[gregoire]

I meant the former rather than the later (thought it seemed clear). I know that Keck can take some amazing photos in the IR using adaptive optics, but wasn't sure what we might have for optical wavelenght photos, since a hubble replacement is a long ways away and didn't know of anything earth based that can hold a candle to hubble in the optical.

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"...since a hubble replacement is a long ways away and didn't know of anything earth based that can hold a candle to hubble in the optical. "</font><br /><br />Actually -- for objects this faint, Keck is better than Hubble. Hubble excels on bright, extra-solar objects because of its ability to get hours and hours of scanning on a given object. Keck's mirrors have about seventeen times the surface area of Hubble's main mirror, making it much better for looking at very dim objects... like Pluto.<br /><br />The Hershel Space observatory will be up in a couple of years. It is an IR instrument, but has a main mirror larger than Hubble. JWST <b>might</b> be up by the time NH-1 gets to Pluto. The best bet would be a ground-base observatory with bigger mirrors than Keck. Dunno if any are in the works that would be up in time. However, as with the Huygens drop onto Titan, and the Deep Impact mission -- as NH-1 gets close to Pluto -- a lot more telescope time will be dedicated to Pluto to try to get the most bang for the buck out of the mission. We'll have better pictures by its arrival -- just can't say how <b>much</b> better.

 

[vogon13]

As soon as the NH probe is close enough to resolve Pluto and Charon as seperate objects, I'm sure JPL will turn the camera on and leave it on till long after the flyby. When the camera is close enough to get ~10 pixels on the disk of Pluto its pictures will be the equal of the ones we have now.<br /><br />Have specs on the NH camera been released yet? 1/2 degree field of view and 1000 by 1000 pixels would be nice, and we could figure distance to Pluto to fill the field if the numbers are available. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Here is the Science Payload page at the JPL site that outlines the seven instruments the NH1 will be carrying:<br /><br />http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/spacecraft/sciencePay.html<br /><br />The highest spacial resolution will be obtained by its Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), which is described as follows:<br /><br />LORRI is a telescope with a 8.2-inch (20.8-centimeter) aperture that focuses visible light onto a charge coupled device (CCD). LORRI has a very simple design; there are no filters or moving parts. Near the time of closest approach, LORRI will take images of Pluto's surface at football-field sized resolution, resolving features approximately 100 yards or 100 meters across.<br /><br />For those not aware of the overall mission objectives, the NH1 team hopes to achieve the following:<br /><br /><ul type="square"><li> Map surface composition of Pluto and Charon<li> Characterize geology and morphology ("the look") of Pluto and Charon <li> Characterize the neutral atmosphere of Pluto and its escape rate<li> Search for an atmosphere around Charon<li> Map surface temperatures on Pluto and Charon<li> Search for rings and additional satellites around Pluto<li> PLUS... conduct similar investigations of one or more Kuiper Belt Objects<br /></li></li></li></li></li></li></li></ul><br /><font color="orange"> Days 140 Hours 13 Mins 24 Secs 14 - until opening of primary launch window </font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Looks like at least 1000 by 1000 pixels and a field of view of 5 milliradians square. Will have to check the radian thing as my 1970s brain is definitely wired in degrees.<br /><br />I wonder if the LORRI instrument could be used for stellar parallax studies between encounters? Imagine a baseline (after Pluto flyby) of 40+ AUs!<br /><br />Thanx for the link.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

For those of you that go straight to the message boards, there is a great update on the New horizons mission written by Leonard David on SDC today. <br /><br />SDC PLUTO UPDATE<br /><br />There is also a great two-page update on the mission site, which outlines the latest testing status of the probe, and discusses the visit to Pluto in terms of our growing understanding that it may be a planetary body more typical of our solar system than the eight innner planets. To quote:<br /><br /><i>"A revolutionary aspect of this emerging, new paradigm is the dawning realization that the long-known eight rocky and giant planets, Mercury through Neptune , now seem to be the misfits."</i><br /><br />FULL ARTICLE HERE<br /><br />BTW The chance to send your name to Pluto closes on 15 September - LINK<br /><br /><font color="orange">Days 130 Hours 13 Mins 25 Secs 00 - until opening of primary launch window</font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Actually, I have one question myself concerning this mission and I cannot seem to find the answer anywhere. After the Pluto-Charon flyby, NH1 will spend four years (2016 to 2020) zooming through the Kuiper Belt. During this time, they hope to have one or two close encounters with KBOs up to 90km in diameter. How will this be achieved? We cannot detect these items now, will the probe detect and hone in on them? Or do they hope to identify targets prior to arrival? It is an incredibly exciting prospect to study KBOs, but how it will be achieved remains vague to me.<br /><br />The Kuiper Belt is described as a vast reservoir of icy objects, conjuring up images of a sea of icy debris like Saturn's rings. What are our best guesses though as to the distribution of objects within the Belt?<br /><br /><font color="orange">Days 127 Hours 01 Mins 11 Secs 47 - until opening of primary launch window</font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[vogon13]

I'm just speculating, but by the time the craft reaches Pluto, would current trends in discovery of these trans-Plutonian objects suggest the statistical likelihood of objects reachable within the constraints of the probes fuel supply?<br /><br />Also, might probe itself take long exposure photos of its escape trajectory and discover suitable rondevous targets?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Below are some posts made by Alan Stern, New Horizon's PI, in the New Horizon forum on unmannedspaceflight.com<br /><br />http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=33514980de3994cacdfd10bea7ba675d&showforum=20 <br /><br />Alan Stern Mar 1 2005<br />2002 GO will be 2.7 AU awa-- good OpNav practice and a chance to get a solid phase<br />curve. We will search along the path for better (closer) candidates after launch, but<br />Monte Carlo sims tell us not to expect anything close enough to generate real maps<br />unless we get incredibly lucky.<br /> <br /><br /><br />Alan Stern Mar 1 2005<br /> A lot of work has gone into KBO flyby planning. NH1 can probably only get<br />to 1 or maybe 2 KBOs, and those will be small, i.e., Eros-sized or a bit<br />smaller. This is because after we leave Pluto-Charon, we can only<br />maneuver 100 m/s or so off this course, which means turning only ~0.1 deg.<br /><br />(NH2 can hit a large KBO because we can target it from Jupiter or Uranus<br />as the "substitute" first target for Pluto.)<br /><br />We will not choose the first NH1 target KBO until about 2012, because<br />we will have much better knowledge of KBOs by then in general, and<br />the possible targets along our trajectory in particular.<br /><br /><br /><br />Alan Stern Mar 13 2005<br />Outbound is less interesting. as Pluto is a crescent, and already explored at high-resolution on approach. About 2 weeks post-encounter we do the KBO targeting maneuver, and then begin the less hectic, final observation phase for pluto-Charon. <br /><br /><br /><br />And here is a recent reference by Bob Shaw, one the many wonderful posters at that website. (unmannedspaceflight.com)<br /><br />Bob Shaw Sep 5 2005<br />As regards post-Pluto targets, there was an earlier discussion on here where either Alan Stern or one of his colleagues commented on the expected levels of hydrazine at <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

Excellent. Thanks Centsworth_II. Direct answers to all my queries from the mission leader! Seems that there will be a fair amount of luck involved, but that they have carefully thought through the methods to maximise the chances of an encounter. Who knows, by then we may be due for another cosmic hole-in-one like Opportunity scored! Think I'm going to have to spend a bit of time on unmannedspaceflight.com! <br /><br /><font color="orange">Days 126 Hours 12 Mins 01 Secs 17 - until opening of primary launch window</font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I just read through the complete discussion thread on unmannedspaceflight.com and it is a must read for anyone interested in the mission (see Centsworth_II's link above). Also those interested in the mission must visit the SwRI (SouthWest Research Institute) New Horizons Science Team Web Site . There are posters, power point presentations and tonnes of information of Pluto, KBOs and the mission. There is also a concept overview of the <b>New Horizons II mission to Uranus and the Kuiper Belt.</b> <br /><br /><font color="orange">Days 126 Hours 08 Mins 51 Secs 25 - until opening of primary launch window</font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

I'm glad you found the information useful. I also like unmannedspaceflight.com for its high quality discussion on other missions such as MER and Cassini. In fact, the site founder, Doug Ellison, just had an in depth interview with Steve Squyres (MER's PI) which he will soon publish on the site. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I’ll take the liberty of posting this article here (it was posted by Calli in the SS&A forum). Fascinating reading!<br /><br /><b>Work continues on solar system's new objects</b><br /><br />CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NEWS RELEASE<br />Posted: September 9, 2005<br /><br /><i>When planetary scientists announced on July 29 that they had discovered a new planet larger than Pluto, the news overshadowed the two other objects the group had also found. But all three objects are odd additions to the solar system, and as such could revolutionize our understanding of how our part of the celestial neighborhood evolved. </i><br /><br /> Full Article <br /><br />These discoveries seem to fit well with the expectations of the NH1 team, which is predicting the discovery of many such bodies by the time NH1 reaches the Kuiper Belt. To quote Alan Stern again from his article on the mission site<br /><br /><i> Today, however, we see a very different picture of our home solar system is emerging, one which reveals Pluto in context — as a nearby example representing what is almost certainly the</i><b> most populous class of planet</b><i> in our solar system — the "ice dwarfs."</i><br /><br /><font color="orange"> Days 117 Hours 10 Mins 14 Secs 22 - until opening of primary launch window </font><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

I imagine that a search in earnest for new KBOs in the flightpath of NH1 cannot start until after its launch. Once NH1 is on its way and its path into the Kuiper Belt can be more precisely determined, that area can be intensely studied for potential targets after the Pluto encounter. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[jmilsom]

I will be traveling for all of October, but may be able to drop in to SDC from time to time.<br /><br />Well, it's still looking good. Here is the latest news from the Mission Site:<br /><br />New Horizons Mission News <br />September 26, 2005 <br /><br /><b>New Horizons Begins Launch Preparations</b><br /><br />The New Horizons spacecraft arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla., for final preparations and testing for the probe’s decade-long journey. It will be the first spacecraft to visit Pluto and its moon, Charon.<br /><br />New Horizons arrived Saturday at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane. The spacecraft is in a clean room at KSC. It is scheduled to launch on a Lockheed Martin Atlas V rocket in January 2006. New Horizons recently completed four months of space-environment tests at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Laurel, Md., where it was designed and built........<br /><br />............Following final launch approval, liftoff is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2006, during a two-hour launch window that opens at 2:07 p.m. EST. Launch windows are also available daily from Jan. 12 through Feb. 14, 2006. <br /><br />Full story at the Mission Site <br /><br /><font color="orange"> Days 102 Hours 01 Mins 31 Secs 01 - until opening of primary launch window </font>/safety_wrapper> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[pale_blue_dave]

I for one am very excited about this mission. It's been overshadowed by the moon shots, which I am also very excited about, but we've seen the moon. People don't seem very intrigued by Pluto, but it wasn't long ago that people weren't very interested in the moons of Saturn either.<br /><br />I've waited all my life for a glimpse of Pluto, what's ten more years?