01.30.2006
The New Horizons spacecraft successfully performed its first trajectory correction maneuver, tabbed "TCM-1A," on Jan. 28. The 4-minute, 36-second thruster firing changed New Horizons' velocity by just under 5 meters per second - and also gave the team a chance to calibrate and validate the spacecraft's propulsion system in preparation for a slightly larger maneuver set for 2 p.m EST today.
Together the two maneuvers begin to refine the spacecraft's path toward Jupiter, allowing New Horizons to accurately hit a Jupiter Gravity Assist "aim point" that sets up a July 14, 2015, arrival date at Pluto.
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