After a journey of more than 9 years and 3 billion miles, the New Horizons spacecraft is ready for its upclose look at the Pluto system. The US space agency's unmanned New Horizons spacecraft is scheduled to pass by Pluto on July 14, and will send back unprecedented high-resolution images, allowing people to glimpse the surface of the distant celestial body in rich detail. Already, some images have begun to arrive, and atmospheric studies of the surface ices will begin in May and June, followed by plasma data, geologic and colour data in August and more science in September. After the flyby of Pluto, New Horizons will carry on into the Kuiper Belt to study more about the history of planetary formation.
Watch the live coverage of the Pluto Flyby.
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