ISU professor helped prepare New Horizon spacecraft

The first close up images of Pluto are now available for viewing. The photos are coming in now after NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft begins its flyby of Pluto.

The spacecraft is being powered by a generator developed at the Idaho National Laboratory.An Idaho State University professor also played a key role is creating the generator. Mike smith, an engineering physicist at the Idaho Accelerator Center says NASA used the center’s portable accelerator to test the battery that’s powering the spacecraft.

“It’s great that the accelerator center fosters this type of work to be a part of those type of missions because there’s only a few people in the world that can do that,” says Smith. “Here at the accelerator center, we happen to be able to do that type of work.”

Smith says he has no immediate plans to help out with any other NASA missions, but will be ready to help if NASA calls.