New Horizons Spacecraft & My Model of It

New Horizons Mission Logo

“We Support a Mission to Pluto” Campaign Button,
used to create a link to the petition web site

The Model

This is the image that was my early standard for building the model. I also utilized the Revision 12 PDF file that was published on the web (which was fairly accurate, though it also led me down a lot of wrong paths). You can downolad that here. As more photos became available of the actual spacecraft, I was forced to rebuild several features of the model.

2015: New Horizons Pluto Flyby
In the perpetual gloom at the fringe of the outer solar system, the New Horizons spacecraft skims over Pluto. In the background, Charon is a cresent moon and the Sun is a distant, dim star.

The Spacecraft

Early Concepts
As with most space vehicles, the New Horizons design went through several
different stages of evolution. The two most famous early concepts are shown here:

This was to be a micro probe, weighing in at a mere 260 pounds!
The final spacecraft configuration, however, resembled this
fairly closely, only on a much larger scale

These are the best illustrations I’ve found of the final, flight configuration of the spacecraft.

The Instruments of Science

New Horizons carries a suite of 7 experiments for studying the Pluto-Charon system and, later, the Kuiper belt:
RALPH
Visible and infrared imager & spectrometer.  This instrument will be the “eyes” of New Horizons during closest approach.  It will provide color, composition, and thermal mapping
ALICE
Ultraviolet imaging spectrometer: will analyze composition and structure of Pluto’s atmosphere, and look for atmospheres around Charon and Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs)
REX – Radio science EXperiment
This experiment utilizes the spacecraft’s High Gain Antenna to beam radio waves through Pluto’s atmosphere towards earth, to help understand it’s composition 
LORRI – LOng Range 
Reconnaissance Imager
A telescopic camera.  Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to find any photos of it with the cover open!
This system will snap long-range photos of Pluto, Charon, and KBOs prior to and during closest approach
SWAP – Solar Wind 
Around Pluto
Solar wind and plasma spectrometer.  This instrument will measure atmospheric “escape rate” and observe Pluto’s interaction with the solar wind. 
PEPPSI – Pluto Energetic 
Particle Spectrometer 
Science Investigation
Energetic particle spectrometer.  This instrument will measure the composition and density of plasma (ions) escaping from Pluto’s atmosphere
Student Dust Counter 
(SDC)
This device was built by students from the University of Colorado.
It will measure space dust impacting the spacecraft throughout its mission

 
Luna Spacey

Luna Spacey

Luna Spacey, a distinguished space researcher, earned her Ph.D. in Astrophysics from MIT, specializing in exotic matter near black holes. Joining NASA post-graduation, she significantly contributed to the discovery of gravitational waves, enriching cosmic understanding.With a 15-year stellar career, Luna has numerous published papers and is currently spearheading a dark matter research project. Beyond her profession, she’s an avid stargazer, dedicated to community science education through local school workshops.Luna also cherishes hiking and astrophotography, hobbies that harmoniously blend her admiration for nature and the cosmos, making her a revered figure in both the scientific and local communities.

Recent Posts

VISIT US

735 Bessie Ave, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 1X4, Canada

REACH OUT TO US

(807) 555-9322

 info@myspacemuseum.com

FOLLOW US

© 2024 My Space Museum