New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt

Explore the groundbreaking New Horizons mission to the Kuiper Belt in this 50-minute press conference from AGU's Fall Meeting 2017. Delve into the scientific, operational, and outreach aspects of NASA's historic spacecraft journey towards its 2019 encounter with Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69. Learn about the team's initial reconnaissance of the flyby target, unique observations of other Kuiper Belt objects, and how this mission builds upon the excitement of the 2015 Pluto encounter. Gain insights from expert participants including Alan Stern, Marc Buie, Alice Bowman, Anne Verbiscer, Hal Weaver, and John Spencer as they discuss mission overview, occultation, timeline, flyby options, spatial resolution, and science objectives. Discover the informal naming competition, voting results, and technical aspects such as solar conjunction, spin mode, and data downlink. Uncover fascinating details about the Pluto flyby, Kuiper Belt objects, and the mysterious MU69, including potential moons and unique surface features.