NASA to extend New Horizons mission to Kuiper belt, where comets come from

NASA has announced the extension of the New Horizons mission till 2028 or 2029 and it will cover the Kuiper belt, the place where comets come from. Know what NASA's plans are.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Oct 04 2023, 11:45 IST
2200-foot asteroid, among 5 asteroids speeding towards Earth; NASA reveals size, speed, and more
The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets.
1/5 Asteroid 349507 (2008 QY): NASA tracked down this giant 2200-foot wide asteroid. It is as big as the size of a bridge. It will pay a close visit to Earth today, on October 3. Its closest Earth approach is estimated to be 6.32 million kilometers. It is hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 75457 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets.
2/5 Asteroid 2023 SN6: As informed by NASA, This asteroid is 130 Feet wide and as big as the size of an aircraft. Its closest approach to Earth is expected to be 4.82 million kilometers per hour. It will reach close to Earth on October 4. It was first observed on September 15. It will be approaching Earth tomorrow, October 4. It relative velocity of approaching towards Earth is 30583 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets.
3/5 Asteroid 2023 QC8: This asteroid is as big as the size of an aircraft. It is 130 Feet wide. Its closest Earth approach is expected to be 6.04 million kilometers. It will reach close to Earth on October 5. It was first observed on 21 August 2023. It is hurtling towards Earth with a speed of 22703 kilometers per hour. (PIxabay)
The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets.
4/5 Asteroid 2023 RF10: As revealed by the data from NASA, this asteroid is 84 feet wide. It is expected to pay a close visit to Earth on October 5. Its closest Earth approach is estimated to be 6.07 million kilometers. It will be speeding toward Earth with a relative velocity of approximately 20836 million kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets.
5/5 Asteroid 2022 TD: According to NASA, this asteroid is as big as the size of a bus. Designated as 2022 TD, this asteroid is 31 feet wide. It is expected to reach close to Earth on October 7. Its close Earth approach is estimated to be 3.42 million kilometers. It will be travelling towards Earth at a speed of 33843 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets.
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The extended New Horizons mission plans to collect heliophysics data on the Kuiper belt objects like comets. ( (NASA, Twitter) )

NASA's New Horizons mission which was launched in 2006 has now been extended by almost 5 more years. The objective of the mission was to explore Pluto and now the mission will continue till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, the place where comets reside. The mission was planned to be concluded next year in 2024, however, now the space agency has extended objectives for the mission. Know what NASA has planned for the mission.

New Horizons mission extension

According to a NASA report, the New Horizons will start with new objectives from 2025. Now, the spacecraft is planned to explore the Kuiper belt objects. This mission will be continued till the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, which could take till 2028 or 2029. The primary goal of New Horizons is to gather heliophysics data while operating in an extended, low-activity mode. The extended mission will help scientists identify Kuiper Belt objects. This new objective opens up the potential for a close flyby if one is discovered.

Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington said, “The New Horizons mission has a unique position in our solar system to answer important questions about our heliosphere and provide extraordinary opportunities for multidisciplinary science for NASA and the scientific community.”

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Now, the mission responsibilities will be transferred to NASA's Heliophysics and Planetary Science Divisions. The mission will look for Arrokoth a Kuiper Belt object which is reported to consist of icy bodies. According to a Space.com report, Arrokoth is 34 kilometres wide in size and the flyby will help the spacecraft to collect data about the object.

According to NASA, the extended New Horizons mission will be funded by Planetary Science but will be jointly managed by the division and Heliophysics. Alan Stern, a planetary scientist expresses appreciation towards the mission through an X post, the scientist said, “I want to thank everyone who supported us in getting #NASA to continue the exploration of the Kuiper Belt by its @NASANewHorizons spacecraft-- You did it!”

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First Published Date: 04 Oct, 11:45 IST
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