New Horizons Update 28 January 2006

All–

New Horizons performed its first trajectory correction maneuver, TCM-1A, at 1900 UTC today. This was a 5 m/sec calibration burn and validation burn of our propulsion system and delta-V thrusters in preparation for the somewhat larger (12 m/s) TCM-1B maneuver set for 1900 UTC on Monday.

Together these two maneuvers (1A and 1B) will refine our Jupiter aim point substantially to allow us to accurately hit the Jupiter Gravity Assist aim point for Pluto and our desired 14 July 2015 arrival date.

TCM-2 is planned for 15 February. Given the early calibration numbers from TCM-1A, we estimate this maneuver will be a clean up/tweak of about 1 m/s; a more refined estimate for TCM-2 will be available after a couple of weeks of DSN tracking.

-Alan