Pluto Space_exploration

new horizons image of charon (2015)

the dwarf planet pluto presents significant challenges spacecraft because of great distance earth (requiring high velocity reasonable trip times) , small mass (making capture orbit difficult @ present). voyager 1 have visited pluto, controllers opted instead close flyby of saturn s moon titan, resulting in trajectory incompatible pluto flyby. voyager 2 never had plausible trajectory reaching pluto.

pluto continues of great interest, despite reclassification lead , nearest member of new , growing class of distant icy bodies of intermediate size (and first member of important subclass, defined orbit , known plutinos ). after intense political battle, mission pluto dubbed new horizons granted funding united states government in 2003. new horizons launched on 19 january 2006. in 2007 craft made use of gravity assist jupiter. closest approach pluto on 14 july 2015; scientific observations of pluto began 5 months prior closest approach , continued 16 days after encounter.