NASA’s New Horizons mission, which encountered Pluto in 2015 is now riding through the deepest depths of the Kuiper Belt, is encountering a cosmic dust storm that hints there may be more going on in the outermost reaches of the solar system than we imagine. Space is filled with dust formed of tiny particles just […]
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New Horizons’ Alan Stern will fulfill a lifelong dream on Virgin Galactic spaceflight this week
When Alan Stern launches to suborbital space this week on Virgin Galactic’s fifth commercial flight, he’ll accomplish the goal of a lifetime. But it won’t be all play — Stern will be working during almost the entire mission. That won’t dilute the joy of fulfilling his childhood dream, however. Growing up in the Apollo era, […]
Read MoreWhat cosmic object ‘Arrokoth’ can tell us about our solar system’s formation
A new study from researchers at the Southwest Research Institute has unearthed a fascinating discovery about Arrokoth, a trans-Neptunian object made famous by the New Horizons probe on New Year’s Day in 2020. It would appear that the two lobes of Arrokoth are dotted with mounds, each about five kilometers (3.1 miles) across. Those mounds, […]
Read MoreNASA extends New Horizons mission through late 2020s
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will be able to keep exploring its exotic environs for at least another five years. The agency announced on Friday (Sept. 29) that it will keep New Horizons‘ lights on while it’s still zooming through the Kuiper Belt, the expansive ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit. “The New Horizons mission […]
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