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

Posted by timothy on from the economy-rate dept.

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.

3 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by itzly · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or, when the design was done, they had some room left over, and they couldn't find a 7-gram scientific instrument.

  2. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Interesting

    they also must consider unique ways to gain publicity with the general public.

    In my daughter's 4th grade class, they have a chart of the solar system, and they are tracking the progress of New Horizons as a class project. The ashes are one of the things the kids are most fascinated by. The science is helped along by some human interest. If it leads to just one or two additional kids pursuing careers in science or engineering, then this was a good investment of seven grams of payload.

    It is nice to see some esteem and recognition going to a scientist, rather than some politician.

  3. Re:Not all of his ashes.. by mbone · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That weight would have gone to Pluto anyway; the ashes (plus the coin) were used as counterweights, for trim.