Bill Nye and The Planetary Society Celebrate New Horizons Pluto Flyby

Nye Congratulates Project Team & Citizens Who Made Dwarf Planet Mission Possible

Press Statement
July 13, 2015

Contact
Erin Greeson
Phone: +1-626-793-5100

Laurel, Maryland (June 13, 2015) -- Nearly ten years after its launch, the New Horizons spacecraft will reach its closest encounter with Pluto on July 14, 2015. NASA and the world science community will celebrate the landmark at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) at Johns Hopkins University, as well as at “PlutoPalooza” events around the world.

Bill Nye (The Science Guy), CEO at The Planetary Society, traveled to APL to celebrate the space exploration achievement and issued the following statement:

“This mission is a big deal for humankind. The interest in this part of the Solar System couldn’t be higher. Who hasn’t wondered what Pluto is like? Congratulations to the project team and thanks to citizens everywhere who supported it. There’s a lot of space between us— the Earth and this distant world, and New Horizons has crossed it. For the first time, we all see what’s out there up close. This is an extraordinary moment: reaching the next unexplored frontier in our Solar System. Through the power of people— scientists, legislators, and inspired space enthusiasts— our dream to explore our beloved dwarf planet is a reality.”

Media Resources

Visit The Planetary Society’s New Horizons press room for resources available for media usage, including: videos, photography, biographies and news updates. All resources are available for media usage. Please cite credit as applicable per blogger or photographer and The Planetary Society as source: http://www.planetary.org/press-room/new-horizons/

Interviews

To request an interview with a Planetary Society spokesperson, please contact [email protected].

About The Planetary Society

With a global community of more than 2 million space enthusiasts, The Planetary Society is the world’s largest and most influential space advocacy organization. Founded in 1980 by Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman and today led by CEO Bill Nye, we empower the public to take a meaningful role in advancing space exploration through advocacy, education outreach, scientific innovation, and global collaboration. Together with our members and supporters, we’re on a mission to explore worlds, find life off Earth, and protect our planet from dangerous asteroids. To learn more, visit www.planetary.org.

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