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NASA's New Horizons Spacecraft Awakens to Explore the Kuiper Belt

KVIA•Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 2:21 PM•CNN Newsource

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AI Summary

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which previously made history by flying past Pluto, has awakened from its longest hibernation on June 23, 2025, after being in sleep mode since August 7, 2025. Located approximately 5.9 billion miles from Earth, New Horizons is now ready to transmit scientific data collected during its hibernation. The mission continues to provide insights into the Kuiper Belt, revealing unexpected findings about the presence of snowman-shaped binary objects and the extent of dust in this distant region. As the spacecraft gathers data on cosmic rays and the heliosphere, it may help scientists better understand the formation of planets and the protective mechanisms of our solar system. The mission is currently in its extended phase, which is set to conclude in 2029, but could continue if the spacecraft remains operational.

Key Details: • New Horizons woke up on June 23, 2025, after a planned hibernation. • The spacecraft is currently 5.9 billion miles from Earth in the Kuiper Belt. • It has been in hibernation more than 20 times since 2007 to conserve resources. • The mission's extended phase is set to end in 2029, but may continue if conditions allow.

nasa space-exploration pluto kuiper-belt new-horizons

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NASAPontus BrandtAlice BowmanBecky McCauley RenchJohns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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