Researchers Develop Solar Wind Models in Anticipation of New Horizons Entering Interstellar Space

• Researchers at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) have developed predictive models to determine when the New Horizons probe will reach the heliosphere's outer boundary, known as the termination shock.
• New Horizons is predicted to encounter this boundary between 2029 and 2040.
• The boundary is dynamic and moves in response to solar conditions; the probe may cross the boundary multiple times as the heliosphere expands and contracts.

Heliosphere Dynamics

• The heliosphere is a plasma bubble created by solar wind that protects the Solar System from cosmic radiation.
• The shape of the heliosphere remains a subject of scientific debate, with competing theories suggesting either a comet-like or a croissant-like profile.
• The size of the heliosphere fluctuates, expanding during solar maximums and contracting during solar minimums.

The New Horizons Mission

• Following its 2015 Pluto flyby, New Horizons successfully rendezvoused with the Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) Arrokoth in 2019.
• The probe is currently traveling toward the boundary between the Solar System and the interstellar medium, following the trajectory of the earlier Pioneer and Voyager missions.
• The SwRI team’s research aims to ensure the probe is prepared to take measurements and transmit data as it enters the interstellar environment.