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On the 03 Sep 2023 The International Outsider raised itself so that New Horizons continues its mission. To cut a long story short, this US Deep space probe was threatened with being shut down despite the fact that it was in perfect working order. Back then, the decision to shut it down was the sole decision of NASA and its Administration. A few days after the publication of our article, we felt content that Alan Stern, the Principal investigator and his team won the day. Those in favour of shutting down the probe gave way to those intent on it continuing its mission, and so it did.
Today the same thing is happening again and this time, the battle will not be won so easily. As everyone carefully following the space industry knows, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is experiencing one of the most dramatic budgetary cuts in its history. Unfortunately, Deep Space Probe New Horizons is on the Kill List.
It will not come as a surprise that once again we are raising in the defense of this extraordinary space probe. Some will say that there are other missions in our Solar System which are facing the same threat and uncertain futures. For example the Mars Return Sample Mission, the Juno Mission around the gas giant Jupiter and others. So why lobby for New Horizons instead of the other missions? We will not enter into the details because it is not a science article but suffice it to say that New Horizons is the most if not the only capable emissary that humanity has in this far flung region of the Solar System. Her instruments are functioning perfectly and it will take humans years if not decades to get another probe rushing towards the Edgeworth Kuiper Belt. It is in essence a probe that can teach us how our Solar System was born and one that can still rendezvous with a pristine frozen solar object that will make everything understandable.
When contacted, our friend Laurel Kornfeld informed us the indefatigable Alan Stern was rightly and justifiably lobbying for New Horizons and as usual, was doing an admirable job. Regarding who must be approached to ensure New Horizons continuity, the first person is the Vice President of the USA, J.D.Vance who is in charge of the portfolio relating to Space and of course, NASA.As regards the other notable people who can either lobby on behalf of this or are key decision makers regarding Defense, Fiscal Policy and Scientific Advancement (especially the commercial aspects), we bow to the American contingent of the Space community globally. However, using Voyager as the perfect example as to why a mission like New Horizons must continue, imagine the lack of information and data concerning the outer reaches of the Solar System, the Heliopause, Interstellar Space and more that we would have faced if the Voyager missions had been terminated at the end of the Grand Tour. It has cost a miniscule amount to keep in touch with them and when problems arose, they were fixed fairly quickly and the probes are continuing on, returning to us a stream of information. New Horizons also could provide decades of unparalleled data and information as it moves further out into the Edgeworth Kuiper Belt and beyond. Under no circumstances must this incredible feat of engineering, decades of planning and the constant application of thought from the best of minds available be allowed to cease.
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