This Tiny Spacecraft Was the First Ever to Flyby by Pluto

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Key Takeaways:

• NASA's New Horizons was the first spacecraft to pass by Pluto.
• It also explored several other "space objects."
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Humans have been looking up at Pluto for a long time, but it wasn't until July 2015 that the very first spacecraft visited the plant - NASA's New Horizons. This spacecraft was the very first to explore Pluto and its five moons up close.

New Horizon also flew by Jupiter and several other "space objects," providing scientists with much-needed data.

Why We're Covering This

Virgin Galactic and other commercial space companies are built on the back of public exploration.

Space travel has long been a thing of science fiction. However, it's slowly becoming more of a reality. Virgin Galactic ( NYSE: SPCE ) is pioneering the way for civilian space travel, but all the small discoveries by spacecraft like New Horizons help pave the way for these commercial ventures.

A Long Journey

This tiny spacecraft was up in space for a very long time.

New Horizons took a very long time to reach Pluto. This spacecraft was launched in 2006, but it had to cover billions of miles. It didn't actually reach Pluto until 2015.

A Brief Encounter

New Horizons flew by Pluto very quickly.

New Horizon's encounter with Pluto was very brief. The spacecraft only flew by. It didn't land. Still, the small spacecraft was able to collect tons of data from it's very short encounter.

Surprising Findings

New Horizons visited both Jupiter and Pluto.

One of the most popularized findings from the mission was of Pluto's heart-shaped region, which has now been named the Tombaugh Regio.

Mountains of Ice

Pluto is mostly made out of ice.

As expected, New Horizons showed lots of ice. There are towering mountains of ice on Pluto, indicating a complicated geological history. Despite the presence of water, Pluto is far too cold to support life.

Pluto's Thin Atmosphere

Learning about Pluto helps NASA plan for future missions.

New Horizons did get close enough to study Pluto's atmosphere, which is extremely thin. This study helped scientists determine more about what the planet is made out of.

Charon

New Horizons also sent back pictures of Charon.

New Horizons also visited Charon, Pluto's largest moon. This visit was also extremely brief, but the spacecraft was able to take pictures of the surface, providing some insight into the moon's complicated past.

Other Moons

Unlike our planet, Pluto has several moons.

New Horizons was able to provide close-up images of Pluto's smaller moons, including Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. These pictures can help scientists determine what the moons are made out of.

Tranmission Challenges

While NASA expected some transmission difficulties, what they learned on this mission has helped with future missions.

Getting all those pictures and information back to earth is a challenge! Even after New Horizon's visit, it took several years to download all of the images and data it had collected due to Pluto's vast distance away.

These challenges were expected, but it was a bit of an anti-climax!

Kuiper Belt Encounter

New Horizons traveled into space further than most other spacecraft dare to go.

After stopping at Pluto, New Horizons continued its journey to explore Arrokoth, a distant object in the Kuiper Belt. This was the first time this object was seen, too.

A Legacy of Discovery

Today, New Horizons continues to inspire further exploration.

New Horizons has paved the way for future missions to the Kuiper Belt and even further worlds. This tiny spacecraft provided us with pictures of planets we've never seen up close and has helped scientists discover more about the solar system.

The mission also provided the public with stunning images and exciting discoveries.

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