NASA New Horizons probe faces funding shortage for science instruments

The NASA New Horizons probe faces potential scientific limitations due to a funding shortfall of approximately US$2 million. While the spacecraft remains in excellent condition and is expected to be operational until 2050, the mission may be forced to deactivate two critical particle detectors.

Currently located 9.7 billion kilometers from Earth, New Horizons is exploring the Kuiper Belt and is projected to enter interstellar space between 2029 and 2040. This would make it the third human-made object to cross into interstellar space, following the Voyager 1 and 2 missions. The probe previously conducted historic flybys of Pluto in 2015 and the binary object Arrokoth in 2019.