News has emerged that NASA's New Horizon spacecraft has arrived near Pluto after, wait for it, NINE AND A HALF YEARS of spaceflight. Just imagine how long ago the design elements of this initiative commenced. I suspect some of the key technology now available to us hadn't even emerged then , which makes the whole undertaking even more remarkable.
Like many, I'm in awe of all this and simply dwell on all the possible problems that might have arisen. I'm sure there must have been the need for a few "technology tweaks" along the way, but otherwise this is a real tribute to man's abilities. The first photograph of Pluto has already been shown and I'm sure more will follow.
Well done NASA. Our knowledge of the Solar System continues to grow apace as does details about the wider Universe.
So what comes next? Well, after passing Pluto the craft will apparently continue into the Kuiper Belt to examine some of the other bodies at the edge of the Solar System.
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