« Back to Resources

Press Conferences

March 14, 2023
NASA’s New Horizons Team Discusses Discoveries from the Kuiper Belt

February 13, 2020
Discovering How Planetary Building Blocks Form

March 18, 2019
Revealing the First Primordial Planetesimal

January 3, 2019
The Ultima Thule Flyby

January 2, 2019
First Results

January 1, 2019
Spacecraft status, latest images and data download schedule

December 31, 2018
New Horizons Spacecraft Homing in on Kuiper Belt Target

October 24, 2018
New Horizons Team Previews Ultima Thule Flyby
American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting

December 12, 2017
New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt
American Geophysical Union (AGU) Meeting

October 18, 2016
NASA's New Horizons Mission: Discoveries on Pluto and Worlds Beyond
AAS Division for Planetary Sciences and European Planetary Science Congress

March 21, 2016
New Horizons: Peering into Pluto's Past
Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

November 9, 2015
Science Results from the New Horizons Encounter with Pluto
47th Annual Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting

July 24, 2015
New Horizons Team Finds Haze, Flowing Ice on Pluto

April 29, 2015
NASA's New Horizons Detects Surface Features, Possible Polar Cap on Pluto

April 14, 2015
NASA's New Horizons Nears Historic Encounter with Pluto

April 14, 2015

NASA's New Horizons Nears Historic Encounter with Pluto

NASA Briefing


In a two-briefing event on April 14, NASA is discussing plans and related upcoming activities about the agency's historic New Horizons spacecraft flyby of Pluto this summer. Briefers will describe the mission’s goals, scientific objectives and encounter plans, including the types of images and other data that can be expected.

New Horizons will fly past Pluto on July 14. The spacecraft already has covered more than 3 billion miles since it launched on January 19, 2006. It will pass Pluto at a speed of 31,000 mph, taking thousands of images and making a wide range of other science observations. Given the distance between Pluto and Earth, data from the spacecraft during the encounter will take approximately 4.5 hours to reach our planet.


Briefing 1: Pluto Science and New Horizons

John Grunsfeld, Science Mission Directorate associate administrator, NASA Headquarters, Washington


James Green, director of Planetary Science, NASA Headquarters

Image 1

/Galleries/Featured-Images/picsMed/20150414_First_Color_Image_Ralph.png?1429032584

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image


Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado

Image 1

02_Stern_01.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2

02_Stern_02.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 3

02_Stern_03.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 4

Credit: Dr. Alex H. Parker

Download Video

Image 5

02_Stern_05.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 6

02_Stern_06.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 7

02_Stern_07.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 8

02_Stern_08.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 9

02_Stern_09.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 10

02_Stern_10.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 11

02_Stern_11.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 12

02_Stern_12.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 13

02_Stern_13.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 14

02_Stern_14.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Science

Download Image

William McKinnon, New Horizons co-investigator, Washington University, St. Louis

Image 1

03_McKinnon_01.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2a

03_McKinnon_02a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2b

03_McKinnon_02b.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2c

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Video

Image 3

03_McKinnon_03.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 4

03_McKinnon_04.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5a

03_McKinnon_05a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5b

03_McKinnon_05b.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5c

03_McKinnon_05c.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 6

03_McKinnon_06.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Cathy Olkin, New Horizons Deputy project scientist, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado

Image 1

04_Olkin_01.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2

04_Olkin_02.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 3

04_Olkin_03.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 4

04_Olkin_04.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Briefing 2: New Horizons Pluto Encounter

Glen Fountain, New Horizons project manager, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland

Image 1a

05_Fountain_01a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 1b

05_Fountain_01b.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 1c

05_Fountain_01c.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2

05_Fountain_02.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 3

05_Fountain_03.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 4

05_Fountain_04.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5a

05_Fountain_05a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5b

05_Fountain_05b.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5c

05_Fountain_05c.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5d

05_Fountain_05d.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5e

05_Fountain_05e.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5f

05_Fountain_05f.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 6

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Video

Image 7

05_Fountain_07.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Hal Weaver, New Horizons project scientist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland

Image 1

06_Weaver_01.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2

06_Weaver_02.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 3

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Video

Image 4

06_Weaver_04.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Video

Image 6

06_Weaver_06.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 7

06_Weaver_07.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 8

06_Weaver_08.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 9

06_Weaver_09.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado

Image 1a

07_Stern_01a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 1b

07_Stern_01b.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 1c

07_Stern_01c.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 1d

07_Stern_01d.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 2a

07_Stern_02a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 3

07_Stern_03.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 4a

07_Stern_04a.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 4b

07_Stern_04b.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image

Image 5

07_Stern_05.jpg

Click on image to enlarge.

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Download Image