Chasing Pluto | Full Documentary | NOVA | PBS

Watch as the New Horizons spacecraft captures our first clear view of Pluto’s icy surface. (Aired July 15, 2015) Official Website: https://to.pbs.org/3Uju9za | #novapbs https://to.pbs.org/3Uju9za On July 14, 2015, the New Horizons spacecraft, one of the most advanced ever built, is scheduled to fly by Pluto to take the very first detailed images of the dwarf planet. After nine years and 3 billion miles, we will finally get a close look at this strange, icy world, but only if the craft can survive the final, treacherous leg of its journey, which could take it through a dangerous field of debris. If it does, New Horizons is poised to make dramatic new discoveries, not just about Pluto, but about the vast realm of icy bodies lurking beyond Neptune, relics of the earliest days of the solar system’s formation. Back on Earth, the planetary scientists who have spent decades working on this mission anxiously await a signal from their spacecraft. Our cameras will be there to witness the moment. If all goes well, we’ll see Pluto’s mysterious surface in unprecedented detail and learn new secrets about other alien worlds at the far limits of our solar system. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:10 The First Mission to Pluto 09:55 Exploring the Kuiper Belt & Pluto 18:40 New Horizons Passes Jupiter 22:38 The Demotion of Pluto as a Planet 33:20 Dwarf Planets and the Existence of Life 37:22 The Moons of Pluto 42:43 The Final Leg of New Horizons 51:40 Conclusion © 2015 WGBH Educational Foundation All rights reserved This program was produced by GBH, which is solely responsible for its content. This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate/ Enjoy full episodes of your favorite PBS shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: https://to.pbs.org/2QbtzhR Stay up to date on the latest science discoveries, full episodes, articles, videos, and more by signing up for NOVA's newsletter here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/newslet... FOLLOW US: NOVA YouTube:    / novaonline   Facebook:   / novapbs   ​ X:   / novapbs   ​ Instagram:   / novapbs   TikTok:   / novapbs   PBS Facebook:   / pbs   X:   / pbs   Instagram:   / pbs   YouTube:    / pbs   TikTok:   / pbs   Shop: https://shop.pbs.org/ Pluto documentary, space documentary, kuiper belt, New Horizons mission, pluto flyby, NASA mission