TAG | Pluto probe passes Jupiter on Wednesday |
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| by Stephen Withers | |
| Monday, 26 February 2007 | |
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Launched in January 2006, New Horizons is expected to reach Pluto in July 2015, and various Kuiper Belt objects between 2016 and 2020. This will be our first close-up look at Pluto, but as it is only a fly-by (Pluto has so little gravity that showing sufficiently to enter orbit presents a major challenge) the plan is "to see what is there and do an inventory of what we might want to go back later and do a more thorough study of," according to mission co-investigator Fran Bagenal. That said, it should be possible to find out about Pluto's surface appearance and composition, whether it has more than the three known moons, and if it has rings like the outer planets.{moscomment}
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