New Horizons 2 Explained

New Horizons 2 (also New Horizons II, NHII, or NH2) was a proposed mission to the trans-Neptunian objects by NASA. It was conceived as a planetary flyby mission in 2002, based on the New Horizons spacecraft, which was in development at the time.^{[1] [2]} In March 2005, the proposal was not selected for further development because of a shortage of plutonium-238 needed for the radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG).^[3] The New Horizons 2 study was funded by the New Frontiers program, and delivered to the U.S. Congress in June 2005.^[4]

Description

New Horizons 2 was included in the tentative budget for the New Frontiers program missions. In 2004, the United States Senate on Appropriations Committee provided additional funding for New Horizons 2, a new Kuiper belt mission.^[5] As early as 2004, there was a conference on how to make the most use of New Horizons 2 Uranus flyby.^[6]

Candidate targets included 47171 Lempo, a system that, like Pluto–Charon, contains multiple bodies.^[7] The mission plan for Lempo also included flybys of Jupiter and Uranus,^[7] and perhaps four Kuiper belt objects (KBO). There was a lot of flexibility: even without a gravity assist, any KBO within 50 AU and a 20-year flight time was possible. A flyby of Neptune's Triton was also considered, with 66652 Borasisi as a potential follow-on. was also considered for a visit, as it had a similar orbit to Lempo.^[8]

See also

• Innovative Interstellar Explorer (2003 concept study for RTG powered ion-engined probe to 200 AU by 2030)
• List of New Horizons topics

External links

• • Final Report of the New Horizons 2 review panel via Lunar and Planetary Institute

Notes and References

1. Web site: Portree . David S. F. . May 22, 2012 . New Horizons II (2004-2005) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120526152209/https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/05/new-horizons-ii-2004-2005/ . 26 May 2012 . 30 October 2018 . Wired.com.
2. Web site: Stern . Alan . Alan Stern . Binzel . Rick . Levison . Hal . Lopes . Rosaly . Millis . Bob . Moore . Jeff . 2 . New Horizons 2 . 2 August 2013 . Lunar and Planetary Institute.
3. Final report of the New Horizons II review panel . Anderson . Kenneth . Bearden . David . May 31, 2005 . . Bitten . Robert . Bordi . Franceso . Cochran . Anita . Cohen . Allan . Donivan . Frank . Dudzinski . Leonard . Frazier . Timothy . Mahr . Eric . McGrath . Melissa . Van Damme . Paul . Emmons . Debra . 2.
4. Web site: June 2005 . Presentation: SSE Decadal Survey and New Horizons: A Rough Start . Lunar and Planetary Institute.
5. Web site: Stern . Alan . October 5, 2004 . New Horizons For Planetary Exploration . January 22, 2014 . SpaceDaily . Bouler, CO.
6. Web site: Moore . Jeff . June 5, 2004 . Revolution Afoot– Cheaper, More Frequent Outer Planets Missions – New Horizons II Workshop . March 2, 2023 . Spacenews.
7. Book: Bruno, Claudio . Future spacecraft propulsion systems: enabling technologies for space exploration . Czysz . Paul A. . 2009 . . 978-3-540-88814-7 . 2. . Springer Praxis books in astronautical engineering . Berlin . 378.
8. Web site: Portree . David S. F. . 14 July 2015 . No Shortage of Dreams: New Horizons II (2004-2005) . No Shortage of Dreams.