Mission Story:New Horizons
Mission profile: New Horizons mission was launched onboard Atlas V-551 vehicle on Jan. 19, 2006. With a primary emission of flyby study of Pluto and its moons, the spacecraft also witnessed close encounters with other objects en route its long journey. On June 13, 2006, New horizons tracked asteroid 2002 JF56 at a flyby distance of nearly 102,000 km to find out its colour, shape and size. New Horizons used gravity assist by Jupiter, about 23 million kilometers, to reduce the total trip time to Pluto by few years. This also gave the spacecraft an opportunity to carry out a number of studies of the Jupiter system. These include jovian atmospheric and magnetospheric studies, dust sampling and so on. Several investigations targeting Jupiter’s moons were also carried out by the spacecraft. After Jupiter’s gravity assist, New Horizons went into hibernation on June 27, 2007. On Oct. 16, 2010, the spacecraft reached half way mark of its journey. A series of annual checkouts and trajectory correction maneuvers were carried out in due course of time till Dec. 6, 2014, when the spacecraft came out of hibernation and began Pluto encounter phase. On July 14, 2015, the spacecraft had its closest approach to Pluto. The mission is currently in departure phase-2. If extended, the mission would aim at further exploring the mesmerizing KBOs.
Spacecraft and Payloads: The New Horizon spacecraft is a 0.7m x 2.1m x 2.7m structure with a 2.1m wide dish antenna and weighs around nearly 478 kg which includes nearly 77 kg of scientific payload. The spacecraft is powered through a single RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) and utilises hydrazine-fueled thrusters for propulsion. The spacecraft carried a suite of scientific instruments to probe the atomsphere and the surface of the planet. The instruments suite include visible and infrared (IR) spectral mapping, ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, imaging, radio science, and in situ plasma sensors.
Ralph is, a Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera and an Infrared compositional mapping spectrometer and provides color images, surface composition and thermal maps.
Alice is a sensitive Ultraviolet imaging spectrometer designed to investigate the structure and composition of the dynamic atmosphere of Pluto, and also peep atmospheres around Charon and KBOs.
REX (Radio Science EXperiment), an integrated part of New Horizons telecommunication system functions as a passive radiometer and primarily aims at measuring the atmospheric composition and temperature.
LORRI (Long Range Reconnaissance Imager) is a panchromatic high magnification Telescopic imager aimed at obtaining high resolution images particularly at long distance encounters. LORRI is also expected to provide, Pluto’s far side maps and high resolution geologic data of surface.
SWAP (Solar Wind Around Pluto) is a Solar wind and plasma spectrometer aimed at studying solar wind interactions with Pluto. SWAP measurements will also provide clues about atmospheric “escape rate” of Pluto.
PEPSSI (Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation) is the most compact Energetic particle spectrometer that measures the composition and density of plasma (ions) escaping from Pluto’s atmosphere.
VBSDC (Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter), astudent built dust counter which aims at counting and measuring the sizes of dust particles encountered by New Horizons spacecraft during its entire journey. New Horizons, after its distant trek and successful, Pluto reconnaissance providing us some intriguing facts about the dwarf planet, is now heading for unravelling the mysteries of other KBOs.
Sources: http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/nh-fact-sheet-2015_1.pdf