New Horizons Pluto/KBO MissionHal Weaver

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

To Pluto and Beyond

Pluto-CharonJuly 2015

KBOs2016-2020

Jupiter SystemFeb-March 2007

The Initial Reconnaissance of The Solar SystemThe Initial Reconnaissance of The Solar System’’s s ““Third ZoneThird Zone””

LaunchJan 2006

PI: Alan Stern (SwRI) PM: JHU Applied Physics LabNew Horizons is NASA’s first New Frontiers Mission

Launch 2006 January 19 14:00 EST

• Launched on Atlas V 551- Nearly perfect trajectory- Fastest Earth departure ever(36,000 mph = 58,000 km/hr)- Passed Moon’s orbit in 9 hours- Pass orbits of:

o Mars on 4/7/2006o Jupiter on 2/28/2007o Saturn on 6/8/2008o Uranus on 3/18/2011o Neptune on 8/24/2014

• Pluto system encounter on 7/14/2015• Total S/C mass = 478 kg (1054 lb)

- 77 kg (170 lb) of hydrazine- 30 kg (66 lb) of science payload

• 200 W power from RTG at Pluto• Total Cost ~$710M (FY08)

New Horizons Year-by-Year

L. Young

New Horizons Now

New Horizons Science Instruments

NH Spacecraft & Instruments2.1 meters Science Team:

PI: Alan SternFran BagenalRick BinzelBonnie BurattiAndy ChengDale CruikshankRandy GladstoneWill GrundyDave HinsonMihaly HoranyiDon JenningsIvan LinscottJeff MooreDave McComasBill McKinnonRalph McNuttScott MurchieCathy OlkinCarolyn PorcoHarold ReitsemaDennis ReuterDave SlaterJohn SpencerDarrell StrobelMike SummersLen TylerHal WeaverLeslie Young

New Horizons Pluto Encounter

Pluto Encounter Geometry

To Sun

Pluto System Science GoalsSpecified by NASA or Added by New Horizons

Science Highlights in Encounter Year

Departure Phase 3 (DP3): P+100 to P+180 day Atm Escape: Ambient Plasma Interplanetary Dust

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

AP1 AP2 DP2 DP3AP3 DP1

Approach Phase1 (AP1): P+180 to P+100 day Atm Escape: Ambient Plasma OpNav/Orbits/Masses Surface Albedo Variability

NEP

Departure Phase 2 (DP2): P+21 to P+100 day Atm Escape: Ambient Plasma Ring & Satellite Search L4/L5 Search

Approach Phase 2 (AP2): P-100 to P-21 dayAP1 Activities, Plus: Surface Color Variability Satellite & Ring Search

Departure Phase 1 (DP1): P+1 to P+21 dayDP2 Activities, Plus: Atm Escape: pickup ions & Magnetotail Phase Function: Hi-phase Pan & Color Photometry Surf Comp/Temp: High-phase IR Images High-phase Geologic Maps Retargetables EPO

Approach Phase 3 (AP3): P-21 to P-1 dayAP2 Activities, Plus: Atm. Escape: pickup ions & bow Shock Surface Composition Variability Atmospheric Variability Clouds/Haze/winds from Imaging Geologic, Color & Composition Maps Retargetables EPO

Near Encounter Phase (NEP): P-1 to P+1 dayAP3 and DP1 Activities, Plus:

Best Geologic, Color, & IR/Comp MapsPhase Function: Low, Mid, & High Phase ImagesAtm Escape & Structure: Lyman-Alpha mapsAtm Comp: AirglowAtm Comp & Structure: Occs & Airglow

Surface Comp: UV ReflectanceHigh-res Geologic, Color, and Comp ImagesTemperatures: Surface IR and RadiometryStereo, Topography, Shape & Radii: imagesTrajectory & Masses: Doppler Tracking

GROUP 1 (Required Science Objectives) In Bold Italic

Timeline near Closest ApproachPluto global pan maps at 0.9 km/pixCharon global pan maps at 0.9 km/pixPluto global IR at 9 km/pixNix global color maps at 2 km/pixCharon global IR at 9 km/pix (+ pan at 0.6 km/pix)Pluto global IR at 6 km/pixNix IR at 4 km/pix & pan at 0.3 km/pixPluto pan images at 0.4 km/pixCharon IR at 5 km/pix (+ pan at 0.4 km/pix)Charon global color at 1.4 km/pixPluto IR at 3 km/pixPluto global color at 0.7 km/pixNix pan at 0.5 km/pixPluto global pan at 0.5 km/pix, strip at 0.12 km/pixPluto pan at 0.3 km/pix, strip at 0.08 km/pixCharon global pan at 0.6 km/pix, strip at 0.16 km/pixPluto (smeared) at 110 deg phasePluto radiometry at 230 km/pixPluto at 0.34 km/pix, 146 deg phasePluto in reflected Charonlight, 0.44 km/pixPluto solar and earth occultationPlasma rollCharon solar and earth occultation•Timeline addresses all group 1 (required) and 2(strongly desired) goals, and all but one group 3(desired) goal.•All group 1, and most of group 2 and 3 areaddressed redundantly•P-7 days to P+2 days has already been sequencedand reviewed by the science team, with the finaldelivery due in November.

Far-side Maps in Last Rotation(6.4 days before Closest Approach)

Color <~150 km/pix

IR <~400 km/pix

Pan <~30 km/pix

J. Spencer

LEISA's spectral range andexpected species at Pluto and Charon

Pluto

Charon

Summary of Best Resolution ofPluto, Charon, Nix and Hydra

Panchromatic Color Infrared

Pluto 0.46 km/pixel hemispheric0.09 km/pixel regional

0.64 km/pixel 6.0 km/pixel hemispheric2.7 km/pixel local

Charon 0.61 km/pixel hemispheric0.15 km/pixel regional

1.40 km/pixel 8.4 km/pixel hemispheric4.7 km/pixel local

Nix 0.46 km/pixel0.29 km/pixel possible

1.98 km/pixel 3.6 km/pixel

Hydra 1.14 km/pixel 4.6 km/pixel 14.6 km/pixel

Radial Distribution of Accessible KBOs

for 115 m/s delta-V

KBO Diam.,km at 41 AU

For 200 m/s delta-V

Limiting R Mag p=0.04 p=0.12 Total Cold classical(easier to find)

24.0 > 160 > 92 0.14 (13%) 0.1 (10%)

25.0 > 101 > 58 0.7 (50%) 0.35 (30%)

26.0 > 64 > 37 1.8 (83%) 1.1 (67%)

27.0 > 40 > 23 4 (98%) 2.5 (92%)

Spencer et al. 2003, Earth Moon & Planets 92, 483-491.

Strong peak at 42 AU, due toIntrinsic peak in KBO distributionNarrow cone at smaller distancesFaintness of more distant KBOs

Encounter likely 2018 or 2019

New Horizons Web Sitehttp://pluto.jhuapl.edu

Backup

Pluto Encounter Geometry

To Sun

Sub-solar position(-49.4°, 30.7°)

Equator

Sun terminator

Y

North PoleZ

Sun’s Shadow

Prime Meridian

X

To SpacecraftSub-spacecraftposition 10 daysbefore C/A

Pluto at Approach• Sunlit in southern

hemisphere & darkin northern cap

• New Horizonsapproaches Plutofrom southernhemisphere

• Solar phase angleat approach is 15°

• Pluto makes onerotation every 6.4Earth days

New Horizons Ground Track on Pluto

at Closest Approach

Sub-solar Position at C/A