The Exploration of Pluto: NASA's New Horizons Mission

After a nine and a half-year journey at a speed of more than 30,000 miles per hour, the New Horizons spacecraft flew within a few thousand miles of the surface of Pluto on July 14, 2015. Images and other data for Pluto and its five moons obtained by the spacecraft are revealing extraordinary worlds with many surprises. The geology of Pluto's icy surface is remarkably diverse, with indications of relatively recent changes, while the moon Charon shows unexpected geological features. New Horizons data also offer new and detailed perspectives on the planet's atmosphere and the space environment surrounding it. We will report the latest released information from the spacecraft and describe current laboratory work at NASA in which the surface of Pluto is simulated and the chemistry of its ices is explored.

Speakers: Drs. Oliver White and Dale Cruikshank, NASA Ames Research Center