Footage Cleared for Global News Stories Covering the New Horizons Mission

Mission Pluto to Air Tuesday, July 14, at 9/8c on the National Geographic Channel — Same Day New Horizons Is Scheduled to Make Historic Flyby of Dwarf Planet

WASHINGTON — (BUSINESS WIRE) — July 9, 2015 — National Geographic Channel (NGC) is releasing footage from its upcoming one-hour special Mission Pluto, including CGI animations of what will happen when New Horizons approaches Pluto, and what scientists predict to find when the spacecraft races past the dwarf planet. These incredible animations show in detail New Horizons’ trip out to Pluto, as well as what it will do to collect photos and data once it reaches its destination.

The footage is cleared for global use for any news organization covering this historic space expedition.

With this footage, see what Pluto’s landscape might look like and find out just how cold scientists expect it to be. Observe the challenges New Horizons may face in the last days leading up to its arrival. And watch as host Jason Silva puts the solar system into a perspective we can all understand.

The footage is part of NGC’s global premiere special Mission Pluto, premiering Tuesday, July 14, at 9/8c on NGC — the same day New Horizons is scheduled to make its historic flyby of Pluto. Hosted by Silva (@JasonSilva), Mission Pluto takes an in-depth look at the ambitious project from start to finish, leading into the final hours of a journey more than nine years, $700 million and over 3 billion miles in the making.

NGC joins top scientists at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in conjunction with NASA on a historic mission to the edge of our solar system with the goal of capturing the first clear images and data ever recorded of Pluto. Pluto could hold the key to further unlocking the mysteries of our galaxy, and the world waits in anticipation for the cutting-edge spacecraft New Horizons to complete its fateful approach.

All photos and clips are cleared for global media use.

Photos (including artist renderings of Pluto, CGI stills of New Horizons):
http://files.natgeonetworks.com/_F8_dwnunL8xZbR
Credit: Courtesy National Geographic Channel’s Mission Pluto
*Caption information embedded within each photo

Links to Clips:
Credit: Courtesy National Geographic Channel’s Mission Pluto

http://files.natgeonetworks.com/_ikLb4DUOv8PX1R – First five minutes of Mission Pluto, including CGI and animation of the spacecraft New Horizons and the approach to Pluto

http://files.natgeonetworks.com/_qbLmjEt778UXHR – Scientists describe the predicted weather on Pluto.

http://files.natgeonetworks.com/_G-LsuGfWZ8dXgR – Host Silva shrinks the solar system to the size of the U.S.

http://files.natgeonetworks.com/_mCLAKHOJ88iXjR – Scientists and host Silva explain what will happen as New Horizons reaches Pluto and how it will gather data once it reaches the dwarf planet. (includes CGI and animation of the spacecraft)

http://files.natgeonetworks.com/_SKLOXIBNP80XlR – Scientists explain what a planet is and why Pluto was demoted from planetary status. (includes CGI and animation of the spacecraft)

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