NASA's Plans Endanger New Horizons' Future

NASA is considering turning the New Horizons spacecraft into a heliospheric science probe, which could stop further planned planetary exploration of objects in the Kuiper Belt. The proposed changes have come as a surprise since the spacecraft continues to perform Kuiper Belt object observations and has received a very good recent senior science review. The New Horizons team is working to get the planetary component extended and keep experienced mission scientists in place. Cutting off the mission prematurely would be counter to what the Decadal Survey recommended.