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Destination: Pluto - Episode Guide

Season 1

Close Encounters of the Plutonian Kind

Episode: 1x01 | Airdate:

Close Encounters of the Plutonian Kind

Follow the timeline of the New Horizons mission from its inception to the date of its close encounter with Pluto. Watch initial reactions from those closest to the mission.

Pluto or Bust

Episode: 1x02 | Airdate:

Pluto or Bust

The controversial debate of Pluto's planetary status is explored.

Into the Kuiper Belt

Episode: 1x03 | Airdate:

Into the Kuiper Belt

As New Horizons gets ever closer to its final destination of Pluto, we take a look at the instruments onboard the spacecraft. How do they work, and what will they help us learn about this distant planet?

The Mapmaker's Dream

Episode: 1x04 | Airdate:

The Mapmaker's Dream

As the New Horizons spacecraft gets ever closer to Pluto, the images being relayed back to Earth are superior to anything we've seen before. Take a look at how we're mapping the surface, and the new knowledge gleaned as New Horizons approaches its target.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Episode: 1x05 | Airdate:

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Weeks from its final destination, the New Horizons spacecraft is now closer to Pluto than any other man-made craft has ever been. Although it's been smooth sailing so far, the dangers will increase exponentially as it encounters Pluto's planetary orbit.

The Shoals of Pluto

Episode: 1x06 | Airdate:

The Shoals of Pluto

New Horizons journey to Pluto is winding down, and its destination is dead-ahead. The images being sent to Earth are unlike anything we've seen before - find out what we're learning about this unexplored dwarf planet.

Behind the Scenes with Alan Stern

Episode: 1x07 | Airdate:

Behind the Scenes with Alan Stern

With a mere hours to go until the New Horizons spacecraft reaches its destination of Pluto, we check in with Alan Stern, the principal investigator of the team. Watch the latest news and reactions from Mission Control.

The "Giant Heart" on Pluto

Episode: 1x08 | Airdate:

The "Giant Heart" on Pluto

On the day of their spacecraft's historic Pluto flyby, the New Horizons team discusses its last transmission to Earth - and what it's already telling us about the previously unseen surface of the last major unexplored body in our Solar System, Pluto.

The Pluto Flyby

Episode: 1x09 | Airdate:

The Pluto Flyby

Be present as the NASA New Horizons team celebrates the moment of the New Horizons probe reaching Pluto, thus achieving the initial reconnaissance of our solar system. An achievement 9 years in the making, the Mission's success is an outstanding accomplishment.

New Horizons Calls Home

Episode: 1x10 | Airdate:

New Horizons Calls Home

The second day of the Pluto flyby --- initial transmissions have successfully reached Earth, the team is excited. And Pluto is more than ready for its first close-ups!

New Horizons - Pluto Flyby Images

Episode: 1x11 | Airdate:

New Horizons - Pluto Flyby Images

Pictures worth waiting 9 years to get! The New Horizons team shows off the first batch of photos communicated from the New Horizons space probe 3 billion miles away; stunning images of Pluto and moon.

The Surface of Pluto

Episode: 1x12 | Airdate:

The Surface of Pluto

The New Horizons mission has been a success, and as photographs and data continue to be transmitted back to Earth, scientists can now, for the first time, look at 3D images of the surface of this distant dwarf planet.

The Right Stuff

Episode: 1x13 | Airdate:

The Right Stuff

As the series comes to a close, new observations from mountain ranges to a blue atmosphere are being discovered. What does the data show us, and where is New Horizons heading next? Team members break it down for us, as well as describe "the right stuff" necessary for a successful space mission.

Specials

Alice Crater

Episode: S01 Special | Airdate:

Alice Crater

See Pluto's massive moon, Charon, as you sit at a canyon rim near that moon's rust-stained north pole, with the orb of Pluto dominating half of the sky.

Sputnik Planitia

Episode: S01 Special | Airdate:

Sputnik Planitia

Visit the spot where Pluto's iconic heart-shaped plains meet the sudden and rugged ice hills where the glacial outflow is believed to occur.

Wright Mons

Episode: S01 Special | Airdate:

Wright Mons

Perhaps Pluto's most intimidating geological feature, Wright Mons is an icy escarpment some 13,000 feet tall, brooding over a crowded landscape that includes a strange cryo-volcano.

Beyond the Flyby

Episode: S01 Special | Airdate: (51 min)

Beyond the Flyby

Join the New Horizons team to examine the latest findings and imagery from Pluto and the fringes of our solar system. They reveal a world unlike any other we've seen yet!

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