The New Horizons spacecraft recently entered hibernation mode, the start of an extended slumber that will last for most of the remaining eight-year journey to Pluto, to reduce wear and tear on spacecraft electronics. SwRI developed the Alice and SWAP instruments onboard the spacecraft, as well as the avionics and onboard computers.
 

Testing is progressing on the flight hardware for the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), the first spacecraft to image the interstellar boundary, the region between our solar system and interstellar space. Click Archived Updates to see how the development of IBEX has progressed so far and to meet a number of the IBEX team members. SwRI Senior Executive Director Dr. David McComas serves as principal investigator of the NASA mission. Launch is scheduled for June 2008.
 

Staff Scientist Dr. John Spencer, a co-investigator on the New Horizons mission, assembled a montage of Jupiter’s Galilean satellites from images obtained as the spacecraft swung past the planet for a gravity assist to speed its journey to Pluto. The satellites are (from left) Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
 

SwRI researchers discovered that Saturn’s moons, Tethys and Dione, are flinging great streams of particles into space, suggesting the possibility of geological activity on these icy worlds. The team used the SwRI-built Cassini Plasma Spectrometer to show that the direction of the ejected electrons points back towards Tethys and Dione. The finding establishes the moons as important sources of plasma in Saturn’s magnetosphere. (news release)
 

Geologists in the Geosciences and Engineering Division are assisting Texas’ Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority plan and prepare scientific materials for a park to be opened at a future date. SwRI will support the scientific aspects of park planning by identifying key geologic features to be showcased at educational displays along a trail system overlooking Canyon Lake Gorge. Staff members will also provide illustrations and explanatory texts for displays, brochures and instructional materials. A 2002 flood in South Central Texas removed thousands of cubic yards of soil, weathered bedrock and limestone blocks, creating the pristine gorge and exposing rocks that have been buried for more than 65 million years. 
 

SwRI and the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) -- Chinese Academy of Sciences, located in Shenyang, China, have entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement to collaborate in the development and application of materials science and engineering to industrial problems in China and the U.S. (news release)

SwRI scientists and collaborators from  the University of Kansas, University College London and The University of Texas at San Antonio report results of the observations in the paper "The Process of Tholin Formation in Titan's Upper Atmosphere," were published in the May 11 issue of Science. (news release)

SwRI researchers and four major oil companies have joined in a multi-year project to study the geology and stratigraphy of the Hidden Valley Fault, which was revealed by a historic 2002 flood at Canyon Lake, in Comal County, Texas. (news release)

SwRI has 11 technical divisions with work ranging from the automotive field to space. If you would like a general overview of the Institute's projects from 2006, visit the 2006 Annual Report online. 

Check out our "Technical Areas" link on this page to get a listing of SwRI's in-depth technology pages. If you want to learn more about topics from automatic transmission technology to tractor testing, this is the place to go!