Information is being circulated in the scientific community about NASA’s plans to put the New Horizons spacecraft into hibernation mode.
The decision will temporarily halt all scientific research in the Kuiper Belt and is causing confusion among scientists and space enthusiasts around the world.
What is especially surprising in this case is that the New Horizons program was included in the list of “plans for the next decade” with a mission to Pluto and the Kuiper belt.
The billion-dollar New Horizons spacecraft is at risk of shutting down due to a minor funding shortfall of several million dollars. Moreover, there is no clear plan yet as to when and whether the device’s operation will be resumed. The scientific community and leaders in the field of space exploration have expressed their concerns, but no comments have yet been received from NASA.
NASA plans to shut down New Horizons spacecraft
Earlier this year, information emerged about the possible existence of a second Kuiper belt in the Solar System, which opens up new opportunities for further research. Although scientific research is underway in this area, NASA wants to suspend the spacecraft until new data is obtained or other discoveries are made.
As noted, there was previously a proposal to turn the New Horizons mission into a heliophysics mission and disband the current team. Currently, such an idea has lost its relevance, and, without an alternative plan, NASA wants to simply turn off New Horizons and disband the team responsible for this project.
Missing opportunities to make significant scientific discoveries is a major concern for the astronomical community. They hope that watchdogs such as GAO, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), and the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) will begin to scrutinize this decision. Additionally, it is important that the Office of Science and Technology of the President (OSTP) and the NASA Council participate given the potential consequences of NASA’s actions.
The future of the New Horizons spacecraft remains in doubt. Both the scientific community and space fans are awaiting a resolution to this situation.
