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Infographic: Space Travel
First Trip to Pluto
In mid-July, the New Horizons spacecraft is expected to pass by Pluto, offering humanity its most detailed picture ever of the dwarfÌýplanet. ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder has played a major role in the nine-year expedition to the edge of Earth's solar system: Alumnus Alan Stern (PhDAstro'89) is the mission's top scientist, and the spacecraft carries a scientific instrument designed and built by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ students. After passing Pluto, New Horizons will head into the surrounding Kuiper Belt and, if it survives, into the endlessness of space. For more, see "Voyage to Pluto."
New Horizons
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*Actual flightpath differs
Journey duration: Nine years.ÌýPluto is more than 3 billion miles away from Earth.
01/19/06 –ÌýLaunch: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida
04/17/06 –ÌýMars orbit crossing
02/28/07 –ÌýJupiter flyby
12/28/09 –ÌýHalfway point (in distance)
10/16/10 –ÌýHalfway point (in time)
03/18/11 – Uranus orbit crossing
08/25/14 –ÌýNeptune orbit crossing
07/14/15 – Closest approach to Pluto
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