Space Leaders Sign Letter Protesting Changes In New Horizons' Mission

Oct 17, 2023

Keith's note: Recently I posted an item "There May Be A Second Kuiper Belt And New Horizons Is Headed There" that noted "In a meeting today of the NASA New Horizons Science Team a presentation strongly suggests that our solar system actually has a second Kuiper Belt." I then posted "Hijacking New Horizons" which noted that New Horizons will be visiting the region where there seems to be another Kuiper Belt in a few years. Alas, the ability to continue to conduct a planetary mission to explore these regions of our solar system is not in SMD's plans. They want to change it into a heliophysics mission and get rid of the current New Horizons team. The following was released by Planetary Exploration News yesterday: "The following statement by the undersigned concerns the extended New Horizons mission:" More below.

"We the undersigned leaders view with alarm NASA's announced intention to prematurely end the exploration of the solar system's Kuiper Belt by New Horizons well before the spacecraft leaves the Kuiper Belt. We also view with alarm NASA's intention to replace the New Horizons science team with a new team.

New Horizons was built, launched, and paid for, at a cost of almost $1B to the taxpayer, specifically to explore Pluto and the ancient bodies of the Sun's Kuiper Belt. After a decade-long journey following launch, it reached this distant, scientific wonderland in 2015, and will remain there until 2028. Prematurely truncating the spacecraft's exploration there, when it is still in the Kuiper Belt, is both a fiscal and scientific waste, and sets a bad precedent for NASA.

The New Horizons team, particularly its science team and science leadership team, have done a magnificent job at every stage of this important and impressive project, and they continue to do so. Recent discussions at NASA surrounding replacing this team, in part or in whole, are both misguided and unfair, and would set a bad precedent for NASA.

As the first and only planned spacecraft exploration of the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons is a jewel in the Nation's and NASA's portfolio of space leadership. We the undersigned ask NASA, the Administration, and Congress to reverse course on both of these important matters.

James AdamsPast Deputy Director, NASA Planetary Science Division

Greg AutryPast NASA Transition Team MemberPast White House Liaison at NASA

Jim BellPlanetary ScientistPast President, The Planetary Society

Geoff BriggsPast Director, NASA Solar System Exploration Division

Bill DiamondPresident, The SETI Institute

Ann DruyanAuthor, Co-Founder, Carl Sagan InstituteWriter/Director/Producer "COSMOS"

Louis D. FriedmanFounding Executive Director, The Planetary Society

Richard GarriottPresident, The Explorers Club

Lori GarverPast Deputy Administrator, NASA

James L. GreenPast Director, NASA Planetary Science DivisionPast Chief Scientist, NASA

Gerry D. GriffinPast Director, NASA Johnson Space Center

Jeffrey HallDirector, Lowell Observatory

Candice Hansen-KoharcheckPlanetary ScientistPast Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary SciencesPast Chair, NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group

Homer HickamAuthorPast Member, NASA Advisory Council

Wesley T. HuntressPast Director, NASA Solar System Exploration DivisionPast Associate Administrator, NASA Office of Space SciencePast President, The Planetary Society

Sir Brian MayAstrophysicist and Lead Guitar of Queen

Todd MayPast Director, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Melissa McGrathPlanetary ScientistPast Deputy Director, NASA Planetary Science DivisionPast Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences

Bill NyeCEO, The Planetary Society

William F. ReaddyPast Associate Administrator, NASA Office of Space Flight

Adam RiessNobel Laureate

Kathryn D. SullivanPast Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationPast Vice Chair, National Science Board

Mark V. SykesPresident and CEO, Planetary Science InstitutePast Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary SciencesPast Chair, NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group

Faith VilasPlanetary ScientistChair, NASA New Horizons 2022 Planetary Mission Senior Review PanelPast Chair, American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary SciencesPast Chair, NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group

George WhitesidesPast Chief of Staff, NASA"

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

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