Exploring the New Horizons Mission

Hank Green interviews Dr. Alex Harrison Parker about the New Horizons mission, focusing on its objectives, challenges, and scientific discoveries. The mission aims to explore Pluto and beyond, with a focus on the Kuiper Belt. Dr. Parker discusses the search for post-Pluto targets, the current status of the mission, and the excitement within the scientific community. The mission's findings are expected to provide insights into the solar system's formation and evolution.

What is the primary objective of the New Horizons Mission?

• To land on Pluto

• To perform a flyby of Pluto

• To return samples from Pluto

• To orbit Pluto

What was Dr. Alex Harrison Parker's initial role in the New Horizons Mission?

• Building the spacecraft

• Designing the mission's trajectory

• Searching for a post-Pluto target

• Analyzing Pluto's atmosphere

What was the main challenge in finding a post-Pluto target?

• Inaccurate data from previous missions

• Crowded starfields in the Milky Way

• Lack of telescopes

• Insufficient fuel for course correction

Which telescope was crucial in finding potential post-Pluto targets?

• Hubble Space Telescope

• Mellan Telescopes

• Subaru Telescope

• Canada France Hawaii Telescope

How did the team prepare for the data influx during the Pluto flyby?

• By conducting operation readiness tests

• By hiring more scientists

• By upgrading the spacecraft

• By delaying the mission

What was surprising about the small moons of Pluto?

• They were made of ice

• They had atmospheres

• No new moons were found

• They were larger than expected

What is the significance of the dark pole on Charon?

• It is a frozen lake

• It is a volcanic region

• It is a new moon

• It indicates a large impact basin

What is a cold classical Kuiper Belt object?

• An object with a high eccentricity

• An object close to the Sun

• An object with a circular orbit

• An object with a high inclination

Why is the New Horizons Mission important for understanding the solar system?

• It will map the entire Kuiper Belt

• It provides data on the formation of the solar system

• It will bring back samples from Pluto

• It will establish a base on Pluto

What is the expected outcome of studying cold classical Kuiper Belt objects?

• Understanding the atmosphere of Pluto

• Discovering new planets in the solar system

• Learning about the primordial building blocks of planets

• Finding new moons around Pluto