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	Scientists are particularly interested in Saturn's moon Titan because it's one of the few known moons with its own dense atmosphere. Titan's atmosphere is also thought to be very similar to what Earth's atmosphere was a long time ago. By learning about Titan, we'll learn about our own planet.

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2006-06-15 | MISSIONS
New Horizons Tracks an Asteroid

New Horizons tested its tracking and imaging capabilities this week on asteroid 2002 JF56, a relatively tiny space rock orbiting in the asteroid belt. The test provided valuable experience in tracking moving targets for the spacecraft's future Jupiter and Pluto flybys.

New Horizons launched on January 19 of this year and is scheduled to arrive at Pluto almost a decade from now. The mission is designed to help us understand worlds at the edge of our Solar System by making the first reconnaissance of Pluto and Pluto's moon, Charon. Charon is actually large enough to be considered a dwarf planet in its own right were it in orbit around the Sun. The flybys of Pluto and Charon will be followed by a visit to one or more objects in the Kuiper Belt region beyond Neptune. The objects in this region of the Solar System are ancient relics that formed over 4 billion years ago. Because they are literally the bodies out of which the larger planets accumulated, the objects have a great deal to teach us about planetary formation. Understanding how planets form can help scientists estimate the number of habitable environments in the Universe.

More on this story Full text of original item from JHU - APL, Jun 15, 2006

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Jan 18, 2006 |
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Jan 10, 2006 | MISSIONS
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Dec 16, 2005 | MISSIONS
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Jun 13, 2005 | MISSIONS
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(NASA) - NASA discusses the planned New Horizons mission at public meetings in Florida.

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