NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has been exploring the outer reaches of the solar system since its historic flyby of Pluto in 2015. However, the space agency is now facing a budget crisis that threatens to cut funding for the mission.
The White House’s proposed budget reduction would slash NASA’s planetary science budget by $6 billion, from $2.7 billion to $1.9 billion. This drastic cut would not only end the New Horizons mission but also kill dozens of active and planned missions.
New Horizons was launched in 2006 and has traveled over 9 billion miles to become the first spacecraft to reach Pluto. Its journey was marked by significant challenges, including nearly two decades of advocacy for its approval. Despite initial doubts about its cost, New Horizons has proven itself as a successful mission, revealing complex information about Pluto and its moons.
Since its Pluto flyby, New Horizons has explored the Kuiper Belt, discovering a frozen relic in the form of Arrokoth. This mission extension allowed the spacecraft to continue exploring until 2029. However, if the current budget proposal is approved, New Horizons will be turned off prematurely, cutting short years of valuable data.
With enough fuel for another flyby, mission teams are searching for its next target. The spacecraft is now the third most distant human-built object from Earth, with no other spacecraft planned to reach that distance anytime soon.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/an-iconic-nasa-probe-is-at-threat-of-being-shut-down-due-to-trump-cuts-2000629429