New Horizons probe flyby of Pluto, almost 15 years in the making, had to overcome both technical and bureaucratic challenges.

New Horizons has a long trajectory and it is not over yet.

New Horizons expects successful transmission of data collected at Pluto back to Earth, but space debris could create problems.

The spacecraft is in the midst of taking “hundreds” of images and science measurements, “about half” of them programmed for the day that surrounds closest approach to Pluto at 7:49:57 a.m. EDT, according to Leslie Young, the deputy project scientist and Pluto-encounter planning lead.

The concept for low-energy planetary entry is described as similar to “throwing an air mattress into the atmosphere.”

When massive Stratolaunch program begins to wind down, Scaled Composites promises a return to the Rutan days of smaller, fast-paced projects that result in flight testing of aviation breakthroughs.

With Proton and Falcon 9 sidelined and Ariane 5 booked into 2017, commercial fleet operators question how much longer the status quo can continue.

Scientists hope the New Horizons Pluto probe will turn a lifetime of preparation into a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of the most remote object ever visited by humans.