New Horizons and the Exploration of Pluto

Main speaker - Alan Stern Principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to Pluto Between 1979 and 1989, a rare planetary alignment allowed the Voyager missions to visit the outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, but not Pluto. In 1989, Alan Stern was a member of a team that suggested a spaceflight to Pluto. This became the New Horizons mission, which was launched in January 2006, and took 9½ years to reach its distant target. The flyby through the Pluto system with its five moons completely transformed our knowledge of Pluto, with staggeringly detailed views. Alan was the Principal Investigator for New Horizons, and is therefore the best person to speak about this unique mission of space exploration, including its results to date as well as its ongoing plans. After Alan's talk on the New Horizon's mission, Jerry Stone gave a presentation and looked in detail at the IAU’s official definition of a planet, and as a result give his definitive answer to the question of Pluto’s status. Please note that Jerry's opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of the FAS.