Pluto: the Dwarf Planet

In the news there have been several stories about Pluto because there is a probe sent from
Earth that is reaching Pluto now. In this activity you will look into this voyage to a distant
place.

There are many sources for information on the internet such as

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33531751

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/14/nasas-new-horizons-probe-makes-
pluto-flyby-nine-years-after-leaving-earth

Answer the following

1. What is the name of the probe?

2. When was it launched? What were you doing then?

3. What type of rocket launched the probe?

4. How long did it take to reach Pluto in years? In days? In hours?

5. How far away is Pluto?

6. What is the average speed that it travelled to reach Pluto in Km/h?

7. How long does it take for light to travel from Pluto to Earth?

8. How long does it take for a radio signal to leave Earth arrive at the satellite and then
an answer to come back from the satellite? (i.e.. round trip for the signal)

9. How fast is the data being streamed from Pluto in Kb per second?

10. Find some photos of Pluto that the satellite is sending.