Probe NASA, launched nine years ago to Pluto, closer to their goal, and woke up. Six months later, he will appreciate the earthlings the first images of the dwarf planet on the edge of the solar system.
One of the most ambitious interplanetary missions NASA – send a space probe to Pluto “New Horizons» (New Horizons) – close to the main stage. After a nine-year journey through the solar system unit the size of a grand piano went into orbit closer to Pluto.
is in sleep mode the unit woke up in December and 25 January will begin a six-month study of its goal, gradually approaching it.
«We really already are on the verge “- said at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union mission chief Alan Stern. The probe is worth $ 700 million was launched in January 2006 to study Pluto, the most distant, and therefore the least explored planet of the solar system, open Treasure Tombaugh in 1930. Going into the outer regions of the solar system, the ship left Earth’s orbit with a record for ever launched vehicles speed – more than 16 km / c. During these nine years, the decision of the International Astronomical Union, Pluto managed to lose the status of the world, becoming a dwarf planet,
and the probe itself at a speed of 23 km / c in 2007 made a gravity assist from Jupiter and to date has overcome almost 5 billion km.
All eight years after the passage of Jupiter apparatus “asleep”, slowly rotating and once a week by signaling that everything is fine on board. However, about once a year probe woke up at 50 days for calibration and scientific observations. “It is a kind of Everest among planetary missions. This mission will be the completion of the first phase of planetary research. We launched the fastest machine in the most distant place, “- said Stern.
According to scientists, the device should come as close to Pluto on July 14 this year. The main tasks of the mission will study the composition of the dwarf planet and its largest moon Charon (all known until five satellites of Pluto), the study of the atmosphere of Pluto and Charon’s geological features, as well as search for previously unknown rings and satellites in the system. In the 1990s, astronomers began to suspect that Pluto and Charon are just a couple of the many dwarf planets and other icy debris belonging to the so-called Kuiper belt extends beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Therefore, scientists hope that the device will help shed light on the nature of a new class of objects that make up the outer part of the solar system.
«We are going to one of the original Kuiper Belt planets. The mission will change our understanding of how to behave in the world belt “, – said a member of the mission, William MacKinnon. According to him, the small icy worlds such as Pluto is probably the most common type of planets in the universe.
Although Pluto remains more 216 million km, data collection probe started now. In the near future will begin to study the interplanetary space with two plasma devices, as well as counting the dust particles. And in March, the first images of Pluto will help keep the ship right course towards its goal. The main work of the unit will begin in April, and by mid-March, the probe is already able to get the clearest picture of the planet.
Today, its best shots are taken space telescope Hubble, where the planet appears as a blur.
The most interesting thing will begin in mid-July, when the machine fly at a distance of only 10 thousand. km of Pluto and be able to make shots that will make a splash as much as last year’s photos of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko, machine made Rosetta. However, humans will not be able to quickly get the captured images as well as due to reasons of economy, the probe was not equipped with a powerful and mobile antenna for transmitting data it will have every now and then to turn to the world.
At the time of rapprochement with Pluto it will occupied solely by science, and transfer large amounts of data will begin only in August and will last more than a year. Scientists do not intend to complete a mission in the vicinity of Pluto and its moons. After studying the dwarf planet they are going to send a probe to one of the little-known Kuiper belt objects, the two candidates for this purpose have already been selected. If the continuation of the mission will be money, it is planned to complete in 2019.
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