WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.000 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000 The New Horizons mission to Pluto. Why would NASA go? What rocket does it take 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.000 to get there, and what does it take to get ready for launch day? 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:19.000 Music. 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.000 I'm Darren Bedell, one of the two chief 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:24.000 engineers on the Launch Services Program. The job of the Launch Services Program is to enable the 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:29.000 success of the Pluto New Horizons mission. That job started over five years ago when the mission was in 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:34.000 the early formulation phases. It's kind of like this view of the launch pad behind me that's far off in the 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:42.000 distance. As time went on, the vision got closer and closer to reality. My name is Mike Stelzer. I'm the 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:47.000 mission integration manager for the New Horizons mission, NASA's first journey to Pluto and the Kuiper 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:54.000 Belt. The reason we're going to Pluto is we have not yet explored that region of our solar system. For 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:00.000 years, Pluto was thought to be the only planet or object out there in this Kuiper Belt region, but recently, 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:07.000 within the past 10 to 15 years, scientists have been discovering more and more of these objects, so 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:12.000 on this mission we hope to not only visit Pluto, but one or two of these Kuiper Belt objects beyond Pluto. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:18.000 One of the exciting things about this mission is we'll be launching the fastest moving object we ever have. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:25.000 On Apollo days, it took about three days to get to the moon. For this mission, we'll be passing the moon 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:31.000 later that evening, we'll be passing Mars orbit in a little over three months, and then onward to Jupiter in a 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.000 year. Early on, my role is to work with the Launch Service Program engineering and integration team to 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:42.000 understand the requirements that are needed by the spacecraft. To do this, we met with the Applied 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:48.000 Physics Lab and with Boeing to understand their spacecraft, their observatory and the third stage to 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:54.000 understand those requirements and make sure we're capturing them properly, and the design and build of 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:59.000 the launch vehicle, to make sure all those items work together properly on ascent. This took a number of 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:04.000 meetings and telecons and get-togethers over the last two to three years. The hope is to drive that risk 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:10.000 so low that we'll have a very successful mission on launch day. Now that you've learned 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.000 something about the spacecraft and the management aspects, here's something about the rocket which 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:21.000 will send it on its way. My name is David Solberger and I'm the vehicle systems engineer for Atlas V. This 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:28.000 is a model of the Atlas 551 launch vehicle. It is the most powerful rocket in the Atlas V family. We 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:34.000 specifically chose this rocket because of its power. Pluto is a long distance away and we 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:41.000 needed the energy to get there in a reasonable timeframe. The Pluto New Horizons spacecraft is located 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:47.000 here within the payload fairing. There are many unique aspects of this mission. The first is the use of a 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:53.000 five-meter payload fairing on the United States government mission. The second are the newly designed 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:59.000 avionics also located within the payload fairing that control the rocket. The third are the solid rocket 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:05.000 boosters that have been redesigned to improve reliability. It has required a large engineering team, over 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:11.000 90 engineers from the Launch Services Program, as well as other NASA centers have been involved. 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:16.000 Every aspect of this rocket has been reviewed and analyzed to ensure a safe mission. I am truly proud 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:24.000 to have led the engineering team. The spacecraft and rocket can't get to Pluto by themselves. Here are 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:28.000 some of the talented and dedicated engineers who made it possible. My name is Sarah Quach and I've 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:33.000 been out of college for two years. My mentor, Rich Thompson, has been teaching me what it takes to 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:38.000 upgrade a rocket with new avionics. The new avionics package that we'll be flying on this mission include 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:43.000 a new guided suite as well as the new FTS receiver. I'm Dawn Trout. My team members and I analyzed 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:49.000 electro-magnetic compatibility between the launch vehicle avionics and between those avionics and the 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:53.000 launch site radars. This is similar to making sure that your cell phone doesn't interfere with your stereo 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:59.000 equipment. I'm Jason Chiou and I assess the design of the five-meter payload fairing for its 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:06.000 ability to accommodate New Horizons' unique requirements and to separate properly during the mission. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:12.000 I'm Dr. Ayman Abdallah. As vibration engineers, Tim Widrick, Chris Gerace, and I have determined the vibration loads of the New 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:17.000 Horizons spacecraft and the Atlas V vehicle. We have done this by using mathematical models and 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:23.000 running computer simulations of liftoff on other major flight events. Our goal is to ensure that the 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:30.000 spacecraft and the launch vehicle would survive the accelerations and the forces of the launch into space. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.000 James Wood and I are the two chief engineers for the program. Our job is to assess the 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:39.000 technical work performed by Lockheed Martin and NASA engineers. The technical evaluation of the Atlas 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:46.000 V 551 was extensive; in fact, it was the biggest job of our careers. With five solids, the Atlas was extended 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:52.000 to its design limits requiring additional modifications, qualification testing and analysis. I supported the 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:57.000 early evaluation of the mission by identifying risks and strategies as the rocket was procured from 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:02.000 industry. James has done most of the technical decision making since then by conducting more than 100 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:08.000 engineering review boards. But together, we have evaluated close to 500 items for this 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:13.000 mission. NASA is ready for the launch of the New Horizons mission to Pluto. It's almost time. Go Atlas. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:20.000 Go Centaur. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:42.000 Music. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:47.000