The future of NASA's New Horizons Pluto probe is uncertain following debates at NASA over how best to use the spacecraft.
The surface of Pluto's icy Sputnik Planum seen in a photo captured by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft during its close flyby of the dwarf planet on July 14, 2015.
Instead of remaining in NASA's planetary science division, the mission will have to compete in a separate senior review for the heliophysics division beginning in 2025. Stern called decision is"shortsighted," arguing that a shift in New Horizons' focus to heliospheric science could sacrifice the study of new KBOs.
A slide Stern shared as part of his presentation reads that the shift"also goes directly against the Decadal Survey that sent New Horizons to the KB, quoting: Its 'value increases as it observes more KBOs and investigates the diversity of their properties.'" He also stressed New Horizons' favorable Planetary Senior Review results, which citedCurt Niebur, lead scientist for flight programs in the planetary science division, also attended the OPAG meeting.
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