196
3 A Brief History of Space Flight
(2) On April 7, 2006, the spacecraft passed the orbit of the Mars, moving at
roughly 21 km/s away from the Sun at a distance of 2.43 × 10
8 km. On
September 4, the spacecraft flew by the Jupiter, taking its first photographs
of the Jupiter from a distance of 2.91 × 10
8 km.
(3) On February 28, 2007, the spacecraft received a Jupiter gravity assist with a
closest approach, with a distance of 2.3 × 10
8 km from the planet. The flyby
increased its speed by 4 km/s, accelerating it 23 km/s relative to the Sun and
shortening its voyage to the Pluto by three years. On June 28, the spacecraft
started the first hibernation mode cycle.
(4) On June 8, 2008, the spacecraft crossed the orbit of the Saturn. On December
16, the spacecraft began the second hibernation mode cycle.
(5) On August 27, 2009, the spacecraft began the third hibernation mode cycle.
(6) On March 18, 2011, the spacecraft passed through the orbit of the Uranus.
(7) On July 1, 2013, the spacecraft photographed the images, from which the
Pluto and its moon Charon were resolved as separate objects for the first
time.
(8) On July 14, 2014, the sixth trajectory correction maneuver was performed
after launching, to enable the spacecraft to reach the Pluto. Between July 19
and 24, the spacecraft snapped 12 images of the Charon revolving around
the Pluto, covering almost one full rotation. On August 24, the spacecraft
crossed through the orbit of the Neptune. On August 29, the spacecraft began
the fourth hibernation mode cycle after a ten weeks test. On December 6, the
spacecraft was waked up from its final Pluto-approach hibernation to begin
regular operations.
(9) On February 12, 2015, the spacecraft was more than 2.03 × 10
8 km away
from the Pluto when it began taking the photos, which showed the Pluto and
Charon. On April 2, the spacecraft was at a distance of 1.23 × 10
8 km (0.82
AU) away from the Pluto, and at a distance of 32.06 AU away from the Sun,
traveling at a velocity of 14.58 km/s or about 3.0 AU per year relative to the
Sun. Radio signals take 4.5 h to travel to the spacecraft from the Earth. On
July 14, the spacecraft passed within 10,000 km of the Pluto at a relative
velocity of 13.78 km/s, to conduct the approaching scientific exploration.
(10) On January 1, 2019, the spacecraft made a flyby of the most distant solar
system object ever explored, the Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, also known
as Ultima Thule.
(11) On April 10, 2020, the spacecraft was at a distance of 46.97 AU from the
Earth, and was exploring the Kuiper Belt in detail.
As of April 2020, the New Horizons probe is in the constellation of Sagittarius,
at a position with the declination of −20.2875 degrees and the right ascension of
19.2767 h, flying towards the Sagittarius direction at a speed of roughly 3.0 AU
per year. Although the New Horizons probe had ever the fastest launch speed to
date, it will never catch up with the Voyager probes. The Voyager-1 gained a great
gravity assist during flying by the Saturn and its moon Titan. When the New Horizons
probe travels a distance of 100 AU away from the Sun, its speed will be reduced to
3 A Brief History of Space Flight
(2) On April 7, 2006, the spacecraft passed the orbit of the Mars, moving at
roughly 21 km/s away from the Sun at a distance of 2.43 × 10
8 km. On
September 4, the spacecraft flew by the Jupiter, taking its first photographs
of the Jupiter from a distance of 2.91 × 10
8 km.
(3) On February 28, 2007, the spacecraft received a Jupiter gravity assist with a
closest approach, with a distance of 2.3 × 10
8 km from the planet. The flyby
increased its speed by 4 km/s, accelerating it 23 km/s relative to the Sun and
shortening its voyage to the Pluto by three years. On June 28, the spacecraft
started the first hibernation mode cycle.
(4) On June 8, 2008, the spacecraft crossed the orbit of the Saturn. On December
16, the spacecraft began the second hibernation mode cycle.
(5) On August 27, 2009, the spacecraft began the third hibernation mode cycle.
(6) On March 18, 2011, the spacecraft passed through the orbit of the Uranus.
(7) On July 1, 2013, the spacecraft photographed the images, from which the
Pluto and its moon Charon were resolved as separate objects for the first
time.
(8) On July 14, 2014, the sixth trajectory correction maneuver was performed
after launching, to enable the spacecraft to reach the Pluto. Between July 19
and 24, the spacecraft snapped 12 images of the Charon revolving around
the Pluto, covering almost one full rotation. On August 24, the spacecraft
crossed through the orbit of the Neptune. On August 29, the spacecraft began
the fourth hibernation mode cycle after a ten weeks test. On December 6, the
spacecraft was waked up from its final Pluto-approach hibernation to begin
regular operations.
(9) On February 12, 2015, the spacecraft was more than 2.03 × 10
8 km away
from the Pluto when it began taking the photos, which showed the Pluto and
Charon. On April 2, the spacecraft was at a distance of 1.23 × 10
8 km (0.82
AU) away from the Pluto, and at a distance of 32.06 AU away from the Sun,
traveling at a velocity of 14.58 km/s or about 3.0 AU per year relative to the
Sun. Radio signals take 4.5 h to travel to the spacecraft from the Earth. On
July 14, the spacecraft passed within 10,000 km of the Pluto at a relative
velocity of 13.78 km/s, to conduct the approaching scientific exploration.
(10) On January 1, 2019, the spacecraft made a flyby of the most distant solar
system object ever explored, the Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, also known
as Ultima Thule.
(11) On April 10, 2020, the spacecraft was at a distance of 46.97 AU from the
Earth, and was exploring the Kuiper Belt in detail.
As of April 2020, the New Horizons probe is in the constellation of Sagittarius,
at a position with the declination of −20.2875 degrees and the right ascension of
19.2767 h, flying towards the Sagittarius direction at a speed of roughly 3.0 AU
per year. Although the New Horizons probe had ever the fastest launch speed to
date, it will never catch up with the Voyager probes. The Voyager-1 gained a great
gravity assist during flying by the Saturn and its moon Titan. When the New Horizons
probe travels a distance of 100 AU away from the Sun, its speed will be reduced to