Pluto-bound Probe Snaps First Photo

[tocqueville]

SPACE.com Staff

SPACE.com
Fri Sep 1, 6:30 PM ET

NASA's Pluto-bound New Horizons spacecraft has snapped its first high-resolution photo, an image of distant stars that shows the probe's high-resolution camera works.

This week the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) opened its protective cover and took its first image in space, of Messier 7, a star cluster in our Milky Way galaxy.

The craft's six other primary science instruments have already checked out.

New Horizons launched in January and is due to arrive at Pluto in 2015.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060901/sc_space/plutoboundprobesnapsfirstphoto

[dipsydoodle]

1. I'm sure space.com meant well

but the high resolution picture looks like something * would play with to join the dots. I figured it's donkey. :)

[RC]

2. You're so insightful

I see that kicking Donkey also. :dem:

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Good news. How we take this engineering for granted!

Can YOUR company launch its product into the cold and dark of space and expect it to function perfectly -- and nearly autonomously -- for NINE YEARS?