The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery

Abstract Following the Pluto flyby of the New Horizons spacecraft, the mission provided a unique opportunity to explore the Kuiper Belt in situ. The possibility existed to fly by a Kuiper Belt object (KBO), as well as to observe additional objects at distances closer than are feasible from Earth-orbit facilities. However, at the time of launch no KBOs were known about that were accessible by the spacecraft. In this paper we present the results of 10 yr of observations and three uniquely dedicated efforts—two ground-based using the Subaru Suprime Camera, the Magellan MegaCam and IMACS Cameras, and one with the Hubble Space Telescope—to find such KBOs for study. In this paper we overview the search criteria and strategies employed in our work and detail the analysis efforts to locate and track faint objects in the Galactic plane. We also present a summary of all of the KBOs that were discovered as part of our efforts and how spacecraft targetability was assessed, including a detailed description of our astrometric analysis, which included development of an extensive secondary calibration network. Overall, these efforts resulted in the discovery of 85 KBOs, including 11 that became objects for distant observation by New Horizons and (486958) Arrokoth, which became the first post-Pluto flyby destination.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
The Planetary Science Journal
Published
2024-09-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ad676d
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Astro and Planetary Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.33

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery

Pamela Gay, Akito Tajitsu, Hisanori Furusawa, Fumi Yoshida et al.
4 citations
The Planetary Science Journal
Astro and Planetary Science
1.33
article

The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery

Pamela Gay, Akito Tajitsu, Hisanori Furusawa, Fumi Yoshida, D. J. Tholen, L. H. Wasserman, Matt Mountain, Keith Noll, H. A. Weaver, Stephen Gwyn, Simon B. Porter, H. Karoji, S. Fabbro, M. R. Showalter, Satoshi Miyazaki, Susan Benecchi, A. M. Zangari, David E. Trilling, A. H. Parker, Daisuke Kinoshita, A. Verbiscer, Ray E. Sterner, S. A. Stern, A. J. Steffl, D. J. Osip, Scott S. Sheppard, Richard P. Binzel, M. W. Buie, J. J. Kavelaars, Matthew J. Holman, J. R. Spencer, M. J. S. Belton, Jean-Marc Petit, César Fuentes, F. E. DeMeo, Takuji Yamashita, David Borncamp, Tetsuharu Fuse, Neill Reid, Toshifumi Yanagisawa
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Abstract Following the Pluto flyby of the New Horizons spacecraft, the mission provided a unique opportunity to explore the Kuiper Belt in situ. The possibility existed to fly by a Kuiper Belt object (KBO), as well as to observe additional objects at distances closer than are feasible from Earth-orbit facilities. However, at the time of launch no KBOs were known about that were accessible by the spacecraft. In this paper we present the results of 10 yr of observations and three uniquely dedicated efforts—two ground-based using the Subaru Suprime Camera, the Magellan MegaCam and IMACS Cameras, and one with the Hubble Space Telescope—to find such KBOs for study. In this paper we overview the search criteria and strategies employed in our work and detail the analysis efforts to locate and track faint objects in the Galactic plane. We also present a summary of all of the KBOs that were discovered as part of our efforts and how spacecraft targetability was assessed, including a detailed description of our astrometric analysis, which included development of an extensive secondary calibration network. Overall, these efforts resulted in the discovery of 85 KBOs, including 11 that became objects for distant observation by New Horizons and (486958) Arrokoth, which became the first post-Pluto flyby destination.

The Planetary Science JournalVol. 5(9)
California Institute of Technology (US), Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics (CA), Southwest Research Institute (US), Planetary Science Institute (US), University of British Columbia (CA), Institut UTINAM (FR), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CA), Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (US), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US), Université de Montréal (CA), Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (US)
National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Harvey Mudd College, Johns Hopkins University, Space Telescope Science Institute, Academia Sinica, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, NASA Headquarters, Canadian Space Agency, Planetary Science Division
Openalex Percentile: Top 20%
Astro and Planetary Science
1.33
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.