NASA to Expand New Horizons Mission to Origin of Comets in Kuiper Belt

NASA’s New Horizons mission, initially intended to explore Pluto, has been granted an extension of nearly five years. Originally scheduled to conclude in 2024, the mission will now continue until the spacecraft exits the Kuiper belt, home to comets. Discover NASA’s new objectives for this extended mission.

Expansion of the New Horizons mission

According to a NASA report, New Horizons will start with new goals from 2025. Now the spaceship is supposed to study objects in the Kuiper belt. This mission will continue until the spacecraft exits the Kuiper Belt, which could take until 2028 or 2029. New Horizons’ primary goal is to collect heliophysics data while operating in an extended, low-activity state. The extended mission will help scientists identify objects in the Kuiper belt. This new objective opens up the possibility of a close flyby if one is found.

Nicola Fox, deputy administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington, said: “The New Horizons mission is uniquely positioned in our solar system to answer important questions about our heliosphere and provide extraordinary opportunities for interdisciplinary science for NASA and the scientific community.”

Now the mission responsibilities will be transferred to NASA’s heliophysics and planetary science departments. The mission is looking for Arrokoth, a Kuiper belt object said to be composed of icy bodies. According to a Space.com report, Arrokoth is 34 kilometers wide and the flyby will help the spacecraft gather information about the object.

According to NASA, the expanded New Horizons mission is funded by Planetary Science, but jointly managed by the division and Heliophysics. Alan Stern, a planetary scientist, expresses his appreciation for the mission in an X message, the scientist said: “I want to thank everyone who supported us in getting #NASA to continue exploring the Kuiper Belt with their @NASANewHorizons spacecraft – You did it!”