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Why is the New Horizons Spacecraft Slowing Down?

-- | October 1, 2015

Question: Why is New Horizons slowing down? I check it on line every day and its speed is constant. Today its losing speed.  — Tom

Answer: I don’t know of any specific reason as to why New Horizons would have been slowing down on the particular date that you noticed it.  In general the spacecraft will need to make small course corrections as it travels to its next target, which often involve changes in speed.

Jeff Mangum