New Horizons launched on Thursday!

The probe New Horizons was launched on Thursday, January 19, at 2:00pm. The launch was planned for Tuesday, January 17 but because of weather conditions the launch had to be delayed. In order for the mission to work and make each check point at the right time (ex. They have to make sure that New Horizons goes by Jupiter in February of 2007 in order to use Jupiter's gravity to assist the probe on its course), NASA had a launch window (if they didn't launch it before this date then the probe's course wouldn't work) that extended until February 14, 2006 (can you imagine if they failed to launch New Horizons by Feb. 14 and missed the launch window? This was a once in a life time opportunity, thank goodness they didn't miss it).

Mission Milestones
February 2007..................Jupiter gravity assist
March 2007 - June 2015....Interplanetary cruise
July 2015...........................Pluto-Charon encounter
2016-2020........................Kuiper Belt objects encounter

For more information click on picture above.