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Inquiries to Richard Binzel Uncover Insights from New Horizons' Discoveries

MIT Professor Richard Binzel, a key scientist on NASA's New Horizons mission, shares highlights from a year of groundbreaking discoveries following the spacecraft's historic 2015 close encounter with Pluto.

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MIT Professor Richard Binzel, associated with NASA's New Horizons mission, recounts a year brimming...
MIT Professor Richard Binzel, associated with NASA's New Horizons mission, recounts a year brimming with discoveries since the spacecraft's groundbreaking 2015 Pluto rendezvous.

Inquiries to Richard Binzel Uncover Insights from New Horizons' Discoveries

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A year ago, Richard Binzel, a co-investigator for the New Horizons mission and a professor in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), anxiously awaited data from Pluto. The culmination of a 26-year odyssey to rendezvous with the icy dwarf planet, the furthest body in our solar system we've visited so far.

Now, with New Horizons nearly 3 astronomical units (279 billion miles) from Pluto and delving deeper into the Kuiper Belt, EAPS revisited Binzel to discuss new discoveries, upcoming objectives, and the personal impact of the encounter.

Q: What are the top three revelations about Pluto since the encounter?

A: There're countless findings, yet highlights include learning that Pluto is an evolving, active world much like Earth, with nitrogen rather than water altering its terrain. We see signs that nitrogen might flow and create features like ponds, channels, and glaciers. Second, evidence of million-year climate changes on Pluto, a stark contrast to our Earth's climate. Lastly, the observation of intricate mist and photochemistry in Pluto's atmosphere sheds light on Kuiper Belt meteorology in a distinct physical environment. With about 80% of the data yet to be received, there's loads more to discover.

Q: Can you tell us about the proposed second target in the Kuiper Belt?

A: We're thrilled that NASA approved our proposal to continue operating New Horizons. As it travels through the Kuiper Belt, a region of our solar system filled with leftover planetary building blocks, it will fly by a 25-mile-wide object known as 2014 MU69, or Arrokoth, on January 1, 2019. This encounter will occur about a billion miles beyond Pluto. Because Arrokoth is smaller, we will come closer, approximately 2,000 miles, to obtain better details of its surface composition and icy structure. The unique opportunity to study a sample of our solar system's original chemistry makes this more than a space journey - it's a journey back in time by over 4 billion years.

Q: What effect has the Pluto encounter had on you personally?

A: Above all, it's been a testament that determination and curiosity create a powerful force. Reaching Pluto symbolizes 40 years of my own research and nearly three decades of striving to launch a spacecraft and achieve our goal. But instead of resting on laurels, I'm inspired to instill in students the spirit of relentless exploration, so they too might reach their own impossible dreams. Who knows? Maybe one of them will lead the next mission to further investigate Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.

Enrichment Data:

Key Discoveries and Insights:

  • Pluto Flyby: New Horizons' findings confirmed that Pluto possesses an active atmosphere, a subsurface ocean, and a diverse range of surface features[1]. The gathering of detailed data expanded our understanding of the dwarf planet's composition, geology, and atmosphere.
  • Arrokoth (2014 MU69) Flyby: After the Pluto encounter, New Horizons continued its journey, flying by Arrokoth in 2019. The object was found to be a contact binary, a rare occurrence in the Kuiper Belt. This knowledge contributes to our understanding of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) formation processes[2].

Future Endeavors:

  • Extended Mission: With a mission extension until it leaves the Kuiper Belt (anticipated 2028-2029), New Horizons will continue exploring KBOs[1].
  • Observations of KBOs: The spacecraft is set to observe more than two dozen KBOs, offering a broader understanding of the Kuiper Belt's diversity[1].
  • Kuiper Belt Exploration: Future missions like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the proposed Kuiper Belt Explorer will delve further into the Kuiper Belt, potentially unveiling new insights into its composition and evolution[5].
  1. Richard Binzel's research since the Pluto encounter has revealed that Pluto, much like Earth, is an evolving, active world with nitrogen modifying its terrain, showing signs of nitrogen flow creating features like ponds, channels, and glaciers.
  2. The space-and-astronomy community is eagerly awaiting the New Horizons flyby of 2014 MU69, also known as Arrokoth, on January 1, 2019, which will provide better details of the object's surface composition and icy structure, contributing to our understanding of the original chemistry of the Kuiper Belt.
  3. The science field has become more excited about the investigation of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, with technological advancements opening up possibilities for future missions like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and the proposed Kuiper Belt Explorer.
  4. Computer science and technology are essential for the operation and success of space missions like New Horizons, as they enable scientists to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of data from the farthest reaches of our solar system, ultimately expanding our knowledge of the universe and our place in it.

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