New Horizons Probe Is Awake and Ready to Explore the Kuiper Belt

NASA launched the New Horizons probe to visit Pluto, and it became the first-ever spacecraft to do that several years ago. With that phase of the mission complete, what was a deep space robot to do? NASA decided to keep New Horizons going and take a look at objects in the Kuiper Belt, and the probe has just awoken from a long slumber to prepare for its next flyby.

The Kuiper Belt is a ring of icy objects out past the orbit of Neptune. After being a planet for decades, scientists realized Pluto was just a large Kuiper Belt object and downgraded it to a dwarf planet. The New Horizons mission marked the first time humanity had ever seen such a distant object up close, but the probe is going to break its own record early next year.

Source: New Horizons Probe Is Awake and Ready to Explore the Kuiper Belt

I hope we can still fund this next destination. It would be the first visit to a truly undisputed Kuiper Belt object (KBO). With all exploration, not matter how much is predicted to be discovered, there is always orders of magnitude more mysteries ahead.

Go New Horizon Go.......

a reply to: Krakatoa

Ultima Thule. I love it. Classic science fiction planet name.

January? Is there a snooze button?

a reply to: Krakatoa

Why should the taxpayers fund something that they have no privvy of information,the money could be used elsewhere,what good has spending billions done us? obviously a black project,defund it

a reply to: Oldtimer2

Nah.

The total cost of the New Horizons mission, according to NASA, is about $700 million.

A couple of Raptors. And way cooler. Maybe. Unless I could get a ride in a Raptor, then that would be cooler. But I can't.

source

Damn, have to wait 6+ more months for the flyby :/ It'll be a great belated Christmas gift, knowledge is very underrated. I'd definitely rather the $700 mil be spent on learning about our solar system than making better death toys. We have more than enough death toys to use.

a reply to: Nyiah

Pluto offered (is offering) many surprises.
Wonders await. New worlds. Small ones.

a reply to: Phage

But.. But that is scieaaaaance, and science is boooooring! Shtupid! Stop doing that!

/says some very *special* people


My daughter (age 9) truely wept for the New Horizons probe when she learned that there was no chance to bring it into an orbit around Pluto so that it had to steer lonely into the darkness beyond. She is very happy now that she learned that there are new objects to fly by. *true story*

a reply to: ManFromEurope

Perhaps your daughter has that spark.
(Mine did, for a while. But now she's a actor. A very good one.)

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: ManFromEurope

Perhaps your daughter has that spark.
(Mine did, for a while. But now she's a actor. A very good one.)

My oldest is 12, my youngest is 6. I think they will all live to see offworld exploration, mining, but not colonization.

Sadly, I think the best option for colonization is via drones and genetically engineering humans at destination.

With the help of AI, maybe we can "sleep" by uploading a consciousness into the new bodies, but I doubt this is truly possible in the realest sense. A shadow of, but not perfect imitation of, as that is God's domain.

a reply to: wakeupstupid

I like the concept from The Expanse. A drive that allows high acceleration (1G) for as long as you want, pretty much.

No obvious violation of physics but it makes interplanetary travel somewhat reasonable.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: wakeupstupid

I like the concept from The Expanse. A drive that allows high acceleration (1G) for as long as you want, pretty much.

No obvious violation of physics but it makes interplanetary travel somewhat reasonable.

Humans are finicky. Basically playing out Fallout in space with this plan though there is an interesting angle of "that's vital societal evolution for ya". At least with drones you can kind of guarantee the DNA makes it to the destination and blooms.

a reply to: wakeupstupid

Humans raised by AI?

That's been done. It doesn't often end well.

originally posted by: Oldtimer2
a reply to: Krakatoa

Why should the taxpayers fund something that they have no privvy of information,the money could be used elsewhere,what good has spending billions done us? obviously a black project,defund it

The USA Department of Defence spends more money ($500 billion) in a single year than NASA has spent over 50 years.

originally posted by: Oldtimer2
a reply to: Krakatoa

Why should the taxpayers fund something that they have no privvy of information,the money could be used elsewhere,what good has spending billions done us? obviously a black project,defund it

The USA Department of Defence spends more money ($500 billion) in a single year than NASA has spent over 50 years.