NASA's New Horizons Mission Extended to Explore Outer Solar System Through Late 2020s

NASA has announced an extended mission for the New Horizons spacecraft, focusing on gathering heliophysics data and potentially conducting a close flyby of a Kuiper Belt object if one is identified. The mission, primarily funded by NASA's Planetary Science Division, will continue until the spacecraft exits the Kuiper Belt in 2028-2029. The budget impact will be assessed, and funding within the New Frontiers program will be rebalanced. New Horizons has previously explored Pluto and the Kuiper belt object Arrokoth, providing valuable insights into the outer solar system.