View from the solar system's edge

摘要

"We have completed the initial reconnaissance of the solar system," said Alan Stern. Pluto is now in the rear-view mirror. Stem, the mission leader for NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, was speaking as it came within just 12,430 kilometres of the dwarf planet. The spacecraft zipped past at nearly 50,000 kilometres per hour at 12149 BST on 14 July. The mission team cheered and waved US flags - even though the spacecraft wouldn't phone home for another 13 hours.