Destination: Pluto

★ 5 · 2015 · Documentary

It was a rendezvous a decade in the making. The New Horizons spacecraft rocketed from Earth to provide the first ever close-ups of the farthest planet in our solar system, Pluto. Join New Horizons and its team as it makes its historic approach, revealing a world unlike any other we've ever seen. Interviews with leading team members and planetary scientists will help us unlock the secrets of this far away planet.

Episodes

▶1. Part 1: Close Encounters Of The Plutonian KindFollow the timeline of the New Horizons mission from its inception to the date of its close encounter with Pluto. Watch initial reactions from those closest to the mission.▶2. Part 2: Pluto Or BustThe controversial debate of Pluto's planetary status is explored.▶3. Part 3: Into The Kuiper BeltAs New Horizons gets ever closer to its final destination of Pluto, we take a look at the instruments onboard the spacecraft. How do they work, and what will they help us learn about this distant planet?▶4. Part 4: The Mapmaker's DreamAs the New Horizons spacecraft gets ever closer to Pluto, the images being relayed back to Earth are superior to anything we've seen before. Take a look at how we're mapping the surface, and the new knowledge gleaned as New Horizons approaches its target.▶5. Part 5: Looking Back, Looking ForwardWeeks from its final destination, the New Horizons spacecraft is now closer to Pluto than any other man-made craft has ever been. Although it's been smooth sailing so far, the dangers will increase exponentially as it encounters Pluto's planetary orbit.▶6. Part 6: The Shoals Of PlutoNew Horizons journey to Pluto is winding down, and its destination is dead-ahead. The images being sent to Earth are unlike anything we've seen before - find out what we're learning about this unexplored dwarf planet.▶7. Part 7: Behind The Scenes With Alan SternWith a mere hours to go until the New Horizons spacecraft reaches its destination of Pluto, we check in with Alan Stern, the principal investigator of the team. Watch the latest news and reactions from Mission Control.▶8. Part 8: The "Giant Heart" On PlutoOn the day of their spacecraft's historic Pluto flyby, the New Horizons team discusses its last transmission to Earth - and what it's already telling us about the previously unseen surface of the last major unexplored body in our Solar System, Pluto.▶9. Part 9: The Pluto FlybyBe present as the NASA New Horizons team celebrates the moment of the New Horizons probe reaching Pluto, thus achieving the initial reconnaissance of our solar system. An achievement 9 years in the making, the Mission's success is an outstanding accomplishment.▶10. Part 10: New Horizons Calls HomeThe second day of the Pluto flyby --- initial transmissions have successfully reached Earth, the team is excited. And Pluto is more than ready for its first close-ups!▶11. Part 11: New Horizons - Pluto Flyby ImagesPictures worth waiting 9 years to get! The New Horizons team shows off the first batch of photos communicated from the New Horizons space probe 3 billion miles away; stunning images of Pluto and moon.▶12. Part 12: The Surface of PlutoThe New Horizons mission has been a success, and as photographs and data continue to be transmitted back to Earth, scientists can now, for the first time, look at 3D images of the surface of this distant dwarf planet.▶13. Part 13: The Right StuffAs the series comes to a close, new observations from mountain ranges to a blue atmosphere are being discovered. What does the data show us, and where is New Horizons heading next? Team members break it down for us, as well as describe "the right stuff" necessary for a successful space mission.

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