PIA21868: Artist's Concept of 2014 MU69 as a Single Object


Artist’s Concept of 2014 MU69 as a Single Object

Caption:

Artist's concept of Kuiper Belt object 2014 MU69, which is the next flyby target for NASA's New Horizons mission. Scientists speculate that the Kuiper Belt object could be a single body (above) with a large chunk taken out of it, or two bodies that are close together or even touching (see PIA21867 ).

Background Info:

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, designed, built, and operates the New Horizons spacecraft, and manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The Southwest Research Institute, based in San Antonio, leads the science team, payload operations and encounter science planning. New Horizons is part of the New Frontiers Program managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target 486958 Arrokoth
System Kuiper Belt
Target Type KBO
Mission New Horizons
Instrument Host New Horizons
Host Type Flyby Spacecraft
Instrument
Detector
Extra Keywords Artwork, Color
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2017-08-04
Date in Caption
Image Credit NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute/Alex Parker
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21868
Identifier PIA21868