First Trip to Pluto
In mid-July, the New Horizons spacecraft is expected to pass by Pluto, offering humanity its most detailed picture ever of the dwarf planet. CU-Â鶹ӰԺ has played a major role in the nine-year expedition to the edge of Earth's solar system: Alumnus Alan Stern (PhDAstro'89) is the mission's top scientist, and the spacecraft carries a scientific instrument designed and built by CU students. After passing Pluto, New Horizons will head into the surrounding Kuiper Belt and, if it survives, into the endlessness of space. For more, see "Voyage to Pluto."
New Horizons
*Actual flightpath differs