Spacecraft New Horizons’s encounter with Jupiter scheduled for late February is being eagerly awaited in scientific circles.
The space craft built by NASA is the fastest spacecraft ever built by man. It will be at a distance of 1.4 million miles from Jupiter on February 28, 2007 following a launch a year ago.
NASA stated that the main purpose for sending the spacecraft to Jupiter is to use the planet’s immense gravitational force to slingshot New Horizons to a speed of 52,000 mph or 84,000 kph. This enhanced speed will shave of three years from the time to reach Pluto which is the main destination of the spacecraft. New Horizons which will reach the distant planet in 2015.
Jupiter has already been visited by seven other spacecrafts but none of them had as sophisticated instruments as New Horizons is having onboard.
The spacecraft will study Jupiter, its four moons, its rings and also its magnetic field. The 476 kg New Horizons will also study the stormy atmosphere of Jupiter so that there are no surprises when the spacecraft reaches Pluto.
New Horizons will also examine the Great Red Spot on the planet that is a storm twice the size of earth and has been raging for several hundred years.
After studying Jupiter the spacecraft will continue the onward journey to Pluto which will take another eight years. After reaching Pluto in July 2015 New Horizons will study it for five months and then if every thing goes as per plan it will also study the smaller worlds in the Kuiper Belt.
Via: Reuters
