NASA's New Horizons To Arrive At Pluto With Clyde Tombaugh's Ashes

hypnosec writes NASA's New Horizons is bringing with it the ashes of Clyde Tombaugh – its discoverer – as it cruises towards the now dwarf-planet or 'plutoid'. The probe will be close enough on January 15 to start observing Pluto. Clyde Tombaugh discovered the ice and rock-laden Pluto in 1930 and one of his final requests was that his ashes be sent into space. Tombaugh died on January 17, 1997. Fulfilling that wish NASA has fitted the upper deck of New Horizons probe with a small container containing Tombaugh's ashes alongside a total of 7 scientific instruments. "Interned herein are remains of American Clyde W. Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto and the solar system's 'third zone'", reads the inscription on the container.

Comments

Just a flyby...

[mbone]

Clyde Tombaugh will really be interred in interstellar space, as New Horizons has no means of scattering his ashes on Pluto.

Re:Not all of his ashes..

[CanEHdian]

And still a tremendous waste of money to placard those who fund NASA for emotional reasons, not scientific reasons.

What do you think is going to do more for NASA? The discovery/proof that Mars once was a planet with liquid water and perhaps even microbial life (which is HUGE from a scientific perspective), or two Good Ole American Boys planting the Stars & Stripes on the surface of the red planet, broadcast "live" on all major TV networks in the US and around the world? It is all about emotion: enthousiasm, national pride, and conquering that Final Frontier and leading the way. That's how it worked with Apollo.