New Horizons probe passing 2014 MU69, artwork. In 2015, the NASA probe New Horizons famously arrived at Pluto after a decade-long flight. But its miss

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New Horizons probe passing 2014 MU69, artwork. In 2015, the NASA probe New Horizons famously arrived at Pluto after a decade-long flight. But its mission is not over. On 28 August 28 2015, scientists chose the Kuiper-Belt Object 2014 MU69 as the next flyby target. After four course corrections, the probe is due to arrive on 1 January 2019. It will be the first ever encounter of a robotic probe with a classical Kuiper-Belt Object. The object 2014 MU69 is far smaller than Pluto, and may actually be a binary – two objects orbiting each other. This irregularly shaped orbits the Sun once in 295 years.

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Size: 6000px × 3375px
Photo credit: © MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: artwork, backlit, belt, engineering, exploration, exploring, flight, horizons, illustration, journey, kbo, kuiper, moon, mu69, nasa, planetary, probe, remote, research, science, solar, space, spacecraft, spaceflight, studying, sun, system, technological, technology, thule, ultima, unmanned