KSC-05PD-2060
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the Skid Strip on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), the second stage Centaur is offloaded from a Russian air cargo plane. The Centaur is the upper stage of the Atlas V configuration that will launch the New Horizons spacecraft from Launch Complex 41 at CCAFS. New Horizons is designed to help us understand worlds at the edge of our solar system by making the first reconnaissance of Pluto and Charon - a 'double planet' and the last planet in our solar system to be visited by spacecraft. The mission will then visit one or more objects in the Kuiper Belt region beyond Neptune. New Horizons is scheduled to launch in January 2006, swing past Jupiter for a gravity boost and scientific studies in February or March 2007, and reach Pluto and its moon, Charon, in July 2015.
Usage Rights
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
Details
NASA ID
05pd2060
Date Created
August 31, 2005
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Downloads
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.