UofT AstroTour: Mission to Pluto - From Napkins to New Horizons
In July 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past Pluto, photographing the last unexplored major body in our solar system. Taking over 25 years from its original conception to its phenomenal photographic fly-by, New Horizons upended the space industry. We will explore the story behind the most unlikely expedition into our solar system, the development of the mission from scrap paper to the spacecraft itself. We will examine the unique challenges of spacecraft engineering, the lasting impact this mission has made on our understanding of the solar system, and how its unparalleled success marks the beginning of a new era in space exploration. #NinePlanets!
About the Speaker
Max King is a current Master’s student in Aerospace Engineering at U of T, specializing in space systems engineering. He is an avid musician, passionate about space exploration, and the public education of science and engineering.
The U of T Astronomy Public Tour, or AstroTour, is a monthly event operated by the graduate students of the U of T Astronomy Department. The Tour features a public lecture by a member of the Department on topics ranging from their research to great moments in astronomical history. Following the lecture, tour-goers can peer at the night sky through the Department’s balcony and dome telescopes, or watch a planetarium show run live by astronomer. Admission to the tour is free. Seating for the lecture is on a first-come, first-served basis (doors open ten minutes before the start of the lecture), and the telescope observing is walk-in.
Planetarium tickets will be handed out at 7:45pm outside of the lecture room on a first-come first-served basis. Any remaining planetarium tickets will be available after the talk.
Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Registration: Not required
Organized by: Graduate Astronomy Students Association. The AstroTours are generously financed by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Location: University of Toronto, McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP 103), 60 St George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A7