by Alan Stern
Neptune
discovery of
NASA missions to
“New Frontiers Program” NASA
New Horizons mission. See also New Horizons spacecraft; Pluto flyby; top discovery(ies), New Horizons
bidding/competition for
computer emergency on
conceptualization of
congressional approval of
Decadal Survey review of
development, management of
Fast Flyby mission proposal v.
flight phases in
flight/trip time in
funding for/cost of
hibernation as element of
Jupiter data collected by
Jupiter Gravity Assist to
legacy of
media/public engagement plan for
mementos sent on
mission control for
naming of
navigation, in-flight
objectives, for interstellar space
objectives, for Jupiter
objectives, for Kuiper Belt
objectives, for Pluto
planetary science’s birth propelling
Pluto 350 Study on
Pluto flyby during
project crew sizes during
publicity/press on
Russian collaboration interest in
shutdown/restart of research on
SSES approval of
New Horizons Operations Simulator. See NHOPS
New Horizons spacecraft. See also New Horizons mission
Alice spectrometer on
construction of
flight readiness certificate for
hibernation mode of
launch vehicle for
LORRI imaging by
nuclear elements used by
PEPSSI/SWAP plasma observation by
powering/propulsion of
Ralph spectrometer on
redundancies built into
REX atmospheric probes on
SDC dust probe on
size of
telecommunications by
testing of
New York Times
NHOPS (New Horizons Operations Simulator)
Nichols, Ted
Nix (Pluto moon)
discovery of
shape/rotation of
Norgay Montes (Pluto mountains)
Norgay, Tenzing
nuclear elements, New Horizons
regulation of
RTGs as
Nye, Bill
O’Connor, Bryan
Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
O’Keefe, Sean
Olkin, Cathy
OMB. See Office of Management and Budget
Operational Readiness Tests (ORTs)
OPSWG. See Outer Planets Science Working Group
“On the Origin of the Pluto-Charon Binary” (McKinnon)
“On the Origin of Triton and Pluto” (McKinnon)
ORTs. See Operational Readiness Tests (ORTs)
Outer Planets Science Working Group (OPSWG)
PEPSSI. See Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation
PEP (Pluto Encounter Planning) Team, New Horizons
Pioneer missions
PKE. See Pluto Kuiper Express mission
Planetary Report
planetary science, birth of
The Planetary Society
Plasma and Particles Team, New Horizons
Pluto. See also atmosphere, Pluto; geography, Pluto; New Horizons mission; Pluto flyby; top discovery(ies), New Horizons
alien life, possibility of, on
atmospheric features of
axis tilt of
Charon as moon of
classification of
color of
Cthulhu region of
day’s length on
discovery of
eclipse of Charon by
geographic/geological features of
Hillary Montes region of
Hydra as moon of
Kerberos as moon of
naming of
Nix as moon of
Norgay Montes region of
orbital path/schedule of
origin theories on
planetary science’s focus on
size of
Styx as moon of
Tombaugh Regio area of
top New Horizons discoveries on
Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI)
Pluto Exploration Remote Sensing Investigation (PERSI)
Pluto flyby
alternate trajectories planned for
computer malfunction in
Core phase of
data fail-safe plan for
distance/time calculations for
Encounter Mode of
KBO exploration post-
malfunction readiness plan for
objectives for
planning teams for
rehearsal, in space, of
simulations, on ground, of
space debris hazards during
stages of
“Pluto in a Minute” press videos
Pluto Kuiper Express (PKE) mission
plutonium-fueled nuclear batteries
Pluto 350 study
“Pluto Underground”
PMC. See Program Management Council
POSSE Pluto mission proposal
postage stamps, planets commemorated on
Principal Investigators (PIs)
Program Management Council (PMC)
Proton rockets
“Pushing Back the Frontier” (Farquhar/Stern)
Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)
Radio-Science Experiment (REX)
“Ralph” composition spectrometers
Reid, Chip
REX. See Radio-Science Experiment
RL-10 engines
Rogers, Gabe
Rosetta mission
Royal Astronomical Society of England
RTGs. See Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
Russian Academy of Sciences
Sagan, Carl
Saturn
NASA missions to
Schenk, Paul
Science
Science Definition Team (SDT), NASA
Sci-Ops (science operations) Team, New Horizons
SDC. See Student Dust Counter
SDT. See Science Definition Team
“Send Your Name to Pluto” promotion
SHBOT (Safe Haven by Other Trajectory) flyby plans
Shoemaker, Eugene
Showalter, Mark
Slipher, Vesto
Sobel, Dava
social media
Soderblom, Larry
Solar System Exploration Division (SSED)
Solar System Exploration Subcommittee (SSES)
Solar Wind Around Pluto (SWAP)
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
New Horizons’ construction/development by
Soviet Union
mission collaboration interest by
Phobos launch by
Sputnik launch by
Space Daily
space debris hazards
Space Research Institute, Moscow
SpaceShipOne spacecraft
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
Spencer, John
Kuiper Belt object search by
New Horizons’ “hazards campaign” research by
on Pluto flyby findings
Spielberg, Steven
Sputnik mission (Soviet Union)
Sputnik Planitia (Pluto glacier)
SSES. See Solar System Exploration Subcommittee
Staehle, Rob
STAR 48 rocket, launch with
Star Trek: Enterprise (TV show)
Steffl, Andrew
Stern, Joel
Stern, Leonard
Stone, Ed
Student Dust Counter (SDC)
Styx (band)
Styx (Pluto moon)
discovery of
formation of
shape/rotation of
SWAP. See Solar Wind Around Pluto
SwRI. See Southwest Research Institute
Tatro, Chuck
Tedford, Rayna
Teitel, Amy
Tenzing Montes (Pluto mountains)
Throop, Henry
Titan (Saturn moon)
Tombaugh, Alden
Tombaugh, Annette
Tombaugh, Clyde
ashes of, on New Horizons
commemorations of
Pluto’s classification and
Pluto’s discovery by
Tombaugh, Patsy
Tombaugh Regio (Pluto’s “heart”)
“Tom’s Cruise” flight phase, New Horizons
top discovery(ies), New Horizons
Charon’s interior ocean possibility as
Charon’s unique polar cap as
ongoing scientific yield contributing to
Pluto’s atmospheric escape rate as
Pluto’s atmospheric haze, extent of, as
Pluto’s atmospheric pressure changes as
Pluto’s complexity as
Pluto’s geological activity as
Pluto’s liquid ocean possibility as
Pluto’s nitrogen glacier as
Pluto’s running/standing liquid in past as
Pluto’s small moons’ rotations/spin axes as
Trafton, Larry
Triton (Neptune moon)
Tvashtar volcano, Io
Twitter
2014 MU69 (Kuiper Belt Object)
Tyler, Len
United States Geological Survey
University of Arizona
University of Colorado
University of Texas
Uranus
discovery of
NASA missions to
U.S. Postal Service, planetary stamps of
Venus
NASA missions to
Viking missions
Voyager missions
cost of
staffing needs for
technical capabilities of
Weaver, Hal
Core flyby stage and
Hydra and Nix discovery and
KBO searches and
New Horizons’ launch and
as New Horizons’ project scientist
Pluto flyby findings and
Weiler, Ed
Weinstein, Stacy
Wood, James
Young, Leslie
data fail-safe organization by
New Horizons’ computer malfunction and
New Horizons’ timing update and
as Pluto flyby planning lead
Pluto mission proposal contributions by
ALSO BY ALAN STERN
Worlds Beyond: The Thrill of Planetary Exploration as Told by Leading Experts (editor)
Our Universe: The Thrill of Extragalactic Exploration (editor)
Our Worlds: The Magnetism and Thrill of Planetary Exploration (editor)
Pluto and Charon: Ice Worlds on the Ragged Edge of the Solar System (coauthored with Jacqueline Mitton)
The U.S. Space Program After Challenger: Where Are We Going?
ALSO BY DAVID GRINSPOON
Earth in Human Hands: Shaping Our Planet’s Future
Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life
Venus Revealed: A New Look Below the Clouds of Our Mysterious Twin Planet
The Planet Venus (coauthored with Mikhail Marov)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DR. ALAN STERN is principal investigator (PI) of the New Horizons mission, leading NASA’s exploration of the Pluto system and the Kuiper Belt. A planetary scientist, space-program executive, aerospace consultant, and author, he has participated in over two dozen scientific space missions and has been involved at the highest levels in several aspects of American space exploration. Dr. Stern is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2016 Carl Sagan Memorial Award of the American Astronautical Society, and has twice been named to the Time 100. He lives in Colorado. You can sign up for email updates here.
DR. DAVID GRINSPOON is an astrobiologist, award-winning science communicator, and prize-winning author. In 2013 he was appointed the inaugural chair of astrobiology at the Library of Congress. He is a frequent advisor to NASA on space-exploration strategy and is on the science teams for several interplanetary spacecraft missions. Grinspoon’s previous books include Earth in Human Hands (2016) and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, Scientific American, Los Angeles Times, and others. He lives in Washington, DC. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
DEDICATION
PREFACE: Inside the Farthest Exploration in History
INTRODUCTION: Out of Lock
1. Dreams of a Grand Tour
2. The Pluto Underground
3. Ten Years in the Wilderness
4. The Undead
5. New Horizons at Last?
6. Building the Bird
7. Bringing It All Together
8. A Prayer Before You Go
9. Going Supersonic
10. To Jupiter and the Ocean of Space Beyond
11. Battle Plan Pluto
12. Into Unknown Danger
13. On Approach
14. July 4th Fireworks
15. Showtime
16. Everest
17. Onward New Horizons
CODA: A Final Discovery
PHOTOGRAPHS
NOTES
APPENDIX: The Top Ten Science Discoveries from the New Horizons Exploration of the Pluto System
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
ALSO BY ALAN STERN AND DAVID GRINSPOON
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
COPYRIGHT
CHASING NEW HORIZONS. Copyright © 2018 by Alan Stern and David Grinspoon. All rights reserved. For information, address Picador, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
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eCover design by LeeAnn Falciani eCover image of Pluto courtesy of NASA/SwRI; star field © zitane/Shutterstock
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Stern, Alan, 1957– author. | Grinspoon, David Harry, author.
Title: Chasing New Horizons: inside the epic first mission to Pluto / Alan Stern and David Grinspoon.
Description: New York: Picador, [2018] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017060114 | ISBN 9781250098962 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250098986 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Space flight to Pluto. | New Horizons (Spacecraft) | Pluto probes. | Pluto (Dwarf planet)—Exploration.
Classification: LCC TL799.P59 S74 2018 | DDC 629.43/54922—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017060114
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First Edition: May 2018