Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jan 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002iaf..confe.679y&link_type=abstract
IAF abstracts, 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, The Second World Space Congress, held 10-19 October, 2002 in Houston, TX, USA.,
Computer Science
Scientific paper
2020, before Pluto's atmosphere collapses as predicted by scientists, and then continue to explore the Kuiper Belt objects as an extended mission. In one of the mission scenarios investigated by the New Horizons team, the spacecraft is to arrive at Pluto on July 12, 2016, with a launch in January 2006 through a 10.5-year Jupiter gravity assist trajectory. For this flyby mission, whose exploration takes place during a brief flyby period after a long cruise, a thorough planning of the encounter is especially critical to achieve optimal science observations. In this mission scenario, the New Horizons spacecraft approaches Pluto from its southern hemisphere with a solar phase angle of 18°, an excellent illumination condition for a full spectrum survey of Pluto and Charon on their approaching hemispheres. Charon, about half the size of Pluto, orbits Pluto once every 6.387 Earth days in a circular orbit in the retrograde direction, with a mean distance of 19,600 km from Pluto. The spacecraft flies by Pluto inside Charon's orbit at a velocity of 12.2 km/s. It encounters Pluto at 12:40 UTC with a closest approach (C/A) distance of 11,093 km and meets Charon sixteen minutes later at a C/A range of 26,500 km. After passing Pluto and Charon from behind, the spacecraft will be able to achieve solar and Earth radio occultations, which provide unique opportunities for science investigations of the atmosphere of Pluto and Charon. The first solar and Earth radio occultations by Pluto occur 48 minutes after the Pluto C/A, followed by the second solar and Earth occultations by Charon 85 minutes later. Detailed Pluto-Charon encounter sequences, including planned science observations taking place hours before and after the Pluto C/A, have been simulated. The Pluto-Charon encounter process and the accompanying science activities are further demonstrated in a 3D animation.
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