New Horizons now continues on its unparalleled journey of exploration with the close flyby of a Kuiper Belt object called 2014 MU69 – officially named Arrokoth – on January 1, 2019. New Horizons now continues on its unparalleled journey of exploration with the close flyby of a Kuiper Belt object called 2014 MU69 – nicknamed Ultima Thule – on January 1, 2019. New Horizons is the first mission in NASA's New Frontiers mission category, larger and more expensive than the Discovery missions but smaller than the Flagship Program. For the first time, a spacecraft has sent back pictures of the sky from so far away that some stars appear to be in different positions than we'd see from Earth. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. New Horizons: The First Mission to the Pluto System and the Kuiper Belt | NASA In early 2019, New Horizons flew past its second major science target—2014 MU69, the most distant object ever explored up close. The New Horizons spacecraft launched on January 19, 2006 – beginning its odyssey to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. NASA's New Horizons probe was able to help measure the distance between two stars and our home system thanks to its distant location. News releases on New Horizons.

The New Horizons spacecraft launched on January 19, 2006 – beginning its odyssey to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. New Horizons is on approach for a dramatic flight past the icy dwarf planet Pluto and its moons in July 2015. The spacecraft was built primarily by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the Johns HopkinsApplied Physics Laboratory… NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is the first spacecraft to explore Pluto up close, flying by the dwarf planet and its moons on July 14, 2015. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. Get the latest updates on NASA missions, watch NASA TV live, and learn about our quest to reveal the unknown and benefit all humankind. New Horizons launched on Jan. 19, 2006 and conducted a six-month-long reconnaissance flyby study of Pluto and its moons in summer 2015, culminating with Pluto closest approach on July 14, 2015. The cost of the mission (including spacecraft and instrument development, launch vehicle, mission operations, data analysis, and education/public outreach) is approximately $700 million over 15 years (2001–2016).