BOSTON, MA — Traveling three billion miles for almost a decade, at speeds higher than 30,000 miles per hour at times, the New Horizons spacecraft is nearing its final destination—and PBS’ award-winning science series, NOVA will be on site to capture the culmination of the historic expedition. The most dramatic space mission of the past 25 years, the epic journey to Pluto could hold the secret to our solar system’s origins. The space probe is preparing for its flyby of the mysterious distant world on July 14, 2015, when it will beam the first-ever close-up images back to an eagerly awaiting planet Earth. The next day, NOVA will present a special one-hour summer broadcast: NOVA’s CHASING PLUTO premieres Wednesday, July 15 at 9PM/ 8C on PBS (check local listings).

In CHASING PLUTO, an original production from WGBH Boston, produced by Terri Randall (NOVA: The Pluto Files), NOVA tracks the New Horizons journey from the beginning to the critical final chapter. The film takes viewers from the design and building of the spacecraft, to liftoff in January 2006, through highlights of the decade-long journey, to the final, treacherous approach and Pluto flyby in July 2015. The film also looks at the recent revolution in planetary science, the enduring popularity of Pluto, and the importance of a foray to the farthest reaches of our solar system to study this small yet iconic icy wonder.

In addition to the documentary, there will be a robust online component from the film’s producers and the NOVA digital team in the run up to the flyby, who will generate regular updates and social media posts from on the ground in Laurel, Maryland, where the Mission Operations team is located at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

“NOVA is committed to telling the full scientific story—the tech innovations, the potential risks, and what we might gain from big, bold human space exploration endeavors like this one,” said Paula Apsell, Senior Executive Producer of NOVA. “We’re excited for NOVA to be on hand to bring viewers the New Horizons story—both online and on air—directly from the front lines.”

The New Horizons Spacecraft & Mission
CHASING PLUTO spotlights the hundreds of people who have devoted their lives and careers to make the expedition possible. Viewers will meet and hear firsthand accounts from several of the top project leaders, mission scientists, and engineers on the Mission

Operations team in the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory near Baltimore, Maryland.

NOVA also examines the technology of the space probe and the unique challenges NASA faced in designing and building the lightest, fastest spacecraft possible to endure a prolonged and perilous path to the outskirts of space. Because the sun is too distant, New Horizons uses a nuclear power source rather than solar energy. Flying tens of thousands of miles per hour, New Horizons is moving so fast that hitting a one-millimeter sized particle could blow a hole in the spacecraft and destroy the entire mission. The probe is geared to withstand the grueling subzero temperatures of the Kuiper Belt and the hazards of dust particles from Pluto’s five moons. New Horizons is also equipped with a science payload that weighs less than 70 pounds combined and is not much bigger than a grand piano. Together, the instruments will analyze Pluto’s surface and geology and reveal secrets about its mysterious atmosphere—in particular, the following three key pieces of equipment:

• “Alice,” an ultraviolet spectrometer about the size of a shoebox, will break up light to reveal the chemical “fingerprints” of atoms and molecules in Pluto’s atmosphere;
• “Ralph,” an infrared spectrometer, will probe for chemical “fingerprints” on Pluto’s surface;
• “LORRI” a powerful telescope with a telephoto lens made with silicon carbide, can take detailed images from more than 7,000 miles away and will capture pictures of Pluto’s surface.

During the critical period of the flyby, the space probe will soar approximately
7,000 miles above Pluto’s surface as “LORRI” takes images, which will take several hours to travel back to Earth. New Horizons has already provided some stunning images along its trajectory. During a gravity assist by Jupiter, the probe got close enough to capture a sequence of volcanic eruptions on the planet’s moon, Io—the first-ever timelapse of a volcanic eruption captured anywhere in the universe other than Earth. But for most of the past decade, the spacecraft has been in hibernation, leaving only essential systems up and running to minimize wear and tear on the equipment. The probe was awakened a few months ago to prepare for the final leg of the journey, and NOVA shows the weekly status check, as New Horizons phones home to “M.O.M.”— Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman—to let her know all systems are working.

The Importance of Pluto
But what makes Pluto so intriguing in the first place? The film first looks at the backstory—presenting Pluto’s unique history and ongoing popularity along with recent developments in astronomy. Discovered in 1930 by self-taught midwestern farm boy, Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto was designated the ninth planet in our solar system the same year Disney’s dog character “Pluto” debuted, and the little misfit has captivated the public’s imagination ever since.

A series of discoveries in planetary science put America’s favorite member of the solar system at the center of swirling controversy, however. First, MIT astronomers David Jewitt (now at UCLA) and Jane Luu discovered the Kuiper Belt—the enormous ring of icy remnants from the early part of the solar system—proving that Pluto is not alone, but part of a densely populated celestial neighborhood. Then, Caltech astronomer Mike Brown discovered a bright, slowly moving object in this vicinity that looked like it was larger than Pluto, throwing into question whether to identify the find as a Kuiper Belt object or the tenth planet. The world demanded to know: what did this discovery mean for Pluto? Brown named his object Eris, after the Greek god of discord and strife. A move was subsequently made to strip Pluto of its planetary status, and the public took to the streets to fight for Pluto’s planethood. A debate and vote was held at the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which relegated Pluto to “dwarf planet.”

These newer revelations do signal a remarkable variety of objects in our solar system and universe, which the New Horizons mission seeks to expand even further. Astronomers have now identified dozens of pint-sized dwarf planets, meaning that Pluto is no longer a lonely little oddball.

What Pluto and New Horizons Could Reveal
Understanding the composition of Pluto through the science of the New Horizons mission could give scientists a new window into the process of planetary formation, since many theorize that smaller bodies like Pluto are planetary embryos that were arrested in mid-stage development of planetary growth. The expedition could also offer a more thorough grasp of an enduring mystery: a better understanding of the creation of life, since Pluto and other dwarf planets may contain liquid water and other organic matter that hold the potential for biology.

Until now, our most powerful telescopes have provided only blurred images of Pluto and its five moons, and Pluto has only been tracked for about one-third of its orbit. We do know that during Pluto’s 248-year orbit, there is a rather bizarre atmosphere that slowly emerges as it gets closer to the sun and its frozen surface starts to thaw. It also appears to have a surprisingly varied surface. Are there craters? Is there fresh snow? An inland sea? Pluto is unlike anything we’ve ever explored.

New Horizons may hold the key to unlocking significant pieces of the cosmic puzzle. In July 2015, the long journey will reach its conclusion, and NOVA will be there to mark this exciting new frontier in space exploration and the potential impact it will have on generations to come.

Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Additional funding for CHASING PLUTO is provided by Millicent Bell—through the Millicent and Eugene Bell Foundation, and Roger and Vicki Sant.

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About NOVA
Now in its 42nd season, NOVA is the most-watched prime time science series on American television, reaching an average of five million viewers weekly. The series remains committed to producing in-depth science programming in the form of hour-long (and occasionally longer) documentaries, from the latest breakthroughs in technology to the deepest mysteries of the natural world. NOVA airs Wednesdays at 9pm ET/PT on WGBH Boston and most PBS stations. The Director of the WGBH Science Unit and Senior Executive Producer of NOVA is Paula S. Apsell. More information about NOVA is available online at www.pbs.org/nova, or by following the series on Facebook and Twitter.

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