New Horizons Pluto probe nearing its target

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Half a million kilometers, just ten hours.

New Horizons: Beyond Pluto

 

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Eight hours to go, (on this planet) it will take another six for the return signal.

Lightspeed, not fast enough.

 

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I didn't know Mr Lintott was a zookeeper.

chrislintott (@chrislintott) on Twitter

 

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Now alongside MU69

 

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And , bye.

 

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Edit - Four hours to first signal acquisition (if successful) after flyby. (Forgot time difference)

New Horizons team have programmed the craft to send a high definition image immediately after. Onboard transmitter is a little over 30W and at the transfer rate is expected to be no more than 600 b/s


New Horizons : Spacecraft

 

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Deep space network data channels

Deep Space Network Now

 

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DSN antenna 63 at Madrid has slewed round and is awaiting signals from New Horizons

 

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DSN antenna 63 at Madrid has slewed round and is awaiting signals from New Horizons

Yes, this will be quite an achievement to have signals so soon after New Horizons has had its antenna pointing in completely the wrong direction. Everything has been programmed into the craft months ago, with a small number of refinements on flight trajectory and asteroid imaging.

NASA Live

 

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Stuff coming in now.

 

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Telemetry received.

 

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Carrier & signal established from New Horizons on DS 63

 

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Everything apart from the navigation received. Data is next to come, but it will be a couple of days before a full picture is received on Earth.

 

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NASA TV say the data recorders are full, the spacecraft is in good health and all is good. Now to trickle down the images.

 

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The New Horizons team will be going cap in hand to NASA next for more funding in the next week, with about ten years of power available another rock at the edge of the solar system is on the cards.

I hope the forthcoming pictures and data can sway it. (the world needs more women in silver skirts and purple wigs)

 

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Press briefing coming up T 1900 UKon NASATV / Reuters / NASA web stream etc

 

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It's wearing a collar.

 

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UT is a contact binary (or possibly a giant snowman!)