NASA’s spacecraft makes history by flying past the distant object ever known

Along with the world, NASA also celebrated New Year with a new accomplishment as its spacecraft made history by flying past the farthest objects in space ever explored.

Earlier on Tuesday, space agency NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft made a historic flyby past the furthest object humans have ever discovered called ‘Ultima Thule’, a distant, mysterious world beyond Pluto some 6.4 billion km from Earth.

The object is located in a dark, cold region of space called Kuiper Belt. As per South China Morning Post, the spaceship was to gather 900 images over the course of a few seconds as it shaved by a distance of about 3,500km at a speed of 51,500km/h. Rejoicing the moment, lead scientist Alan Stern expressed, “Never before has a spacecraft explored something so far away.”

NASA’s spacecraft becomes second human-made object to enter interstellar space

Stern explained that Ultima Thule was unique because it was a relic from the early days of the solar system, and could ultimately give answers about origins of other planets. “The object is in such a deep freeze that it is perfectly preserved from its original formation.”

However, even after sending back a signal and a very blurred and pixilated image taken from 1.9 million km away, scientists are not sure about the shape of the object, whether it is cratered or smooth, or if it is a single object or a cluster of objects. However, clearer images are expected to come in within few days. New Horizons is equipped with seven on board instruments that will record high-resolution images and collect data about its size and composition, wrote Telegraph.

Project scientist Hal Weaver said, “We finally have reached the outskirts of the solar system, these things that have been there since the beginning and have hardly changed – we think. We will find out.

“As you celebrate New Year’s Day, cast an eye upward and think for a moment about the amazing things our country and our species can do when we set our minds to it.”