This Week’s Theme: New Horizons

1. The (New) Horizon Approaches

I belt - ahem - I BET you didn’t know that the National Academy of Science, “has ranked the exploration of the Kuiper Belt the highest priority for solar system exploration.” Not finding life on Europa, nor landing on an asteroid or Mars - exploring the Kuiper Belt.

So in 2006, NASA launched New Horizons...at Jupiter. The 1,056 lb spacecraft needed a lift from Jupiter’s gravity to reach Pluto by 2015. After passing the gas giant, New Horizons picked up speed and changed course. Now 200 days from target, New Horizons is flying fast towards the former planet and arguably the most famous Kuiper Belt object known to mankind.

The observations of Pluto’s five moons - we’ve recently discovered two more moons using Hubble - have already begun. New Horizons will fully wake up from its many years of hibernation on December 6th.

Pluto’s Closeup Will Be Awesome Based On Jupiter Pics From New Horizons Spacecraft http://t.co/TallwRIgQB pic.twitter.com/82OxB9ZbFs

— Universe Today (@universetoday) December 2, 2014

2. Orion: It’s Not Just a Constellation - It’s A Space vehicle

Is it true? Are we going to Mars? For sure this time?

Based on NASA’s tweet of the week, I am tempted to say yes. We are going to Mars. Sooner, rather than later. And we are going there on Orion, or something very much like it.

Orion, the successor to NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, is here, and she is mighty to behold. At 78,000 lbs, Orion has three main parts: The Crew Module, which looks a lot like the front end of a space shuttle; The Service Module, which attaches to the back of the crew module and gives the 4-man crew somewhere to live and work; and The Launch Abort.

That last of the parts has a terrible name, but a really important job - to help steer the Orion out of danger. The Launch Abort system looks like someone stole the space needle. It can generate 400,000 lbs of thrust - enough to get the crew module away from the launch pad - and a motor system to push away from the crew module, so that the module can return to Earth.

As of 1400 hours Pacific time on 12/3/14, this 3-part ship of the future has a 70% chance of launching tomorrow from Kennedy. Check back later this week for Science Desk Coverage of The Orion Launch - its 4.5 hour maiden test flight into the Earth’s atmosphere.

We're prepping humans to go to Mars. Ask the managers helming our #JourneyToMars anything in a @Reddit_AMA at 5pm ET pic.twitter.com/tfUiu7a6dh

— NASA (@NASA) December 2, 2014

3. I shouldn’t be able to see this far: when the new horizon isn’t a good thing.

Knowledge is power—kinda. Some knowledge allows us to buy better food, take care of our health, get out of abusive relationships and properly recycle. When gifted with knowledge like this - Antarctic glaciers lost an amount of water weight equivalent to Mt. Everest every two years over the last 21 years - what do we do with that?

At times, the shear mass of knowledge we possess about the abuse of our planet and the resulting changes can make us feel paralyzed instead of empowered. As coasts sink, and storms rise, we think: what can any of us do about this? We can be part of the solution. The EPA has ways to participate that are pretty much common sense. Bike and bus. Plant a tree. Calculate your carbon footprint here, and find ways to offset it. Find out how to buy green energy here.

Now you know: The Antarctic is losing ice equivalent to the weight of Mt. Everest. Also, you can do something about it. 

West Antarctic glacier melt rate has tripled. #JPL @UCIrvine study http://t.co/DXtvDwz1Zs #EarthRightNow pic.twitter.com/i2u7OOdPa9

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) December 2, 2014

Reach Contributor Sheyna Gifford here. Follow the Science Desk here.