NEW HORIZONS ALICE PLUTO CRUISE: Raw Ultraviolet Spectrograph Data V2.0

Version 2.0 of raw ultraviolet spectral data collected by the New Horizons spacecraft's ALICE instrument during its Pluto cruise mission phase. The dataset includes observations for instrument calibration, dark sky stares, and InterPlanetary Medium (IPM) scans, with updates from newer SPICE kernels and reviews in 2014 and 2016. Data was produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Calibrating ultraviolet spectrograph instruments based on observations of stars like Spica and HD93521.
• Analyzing InterPlanetary Medium (IPM) background signals based on histogram and pixellist observations.
• Studying instrument performance and contamination during long-duration spaceflight based on dark observations and decontamination sequences.
• Simulating and rehearsing planetary encounter operations based on Pluto encounter rehearsal data.

Strengths

• Dataset is version 2.0, indicating iterative processing and updates from formal reviews in 2014 and 2016.
• Includes a variety of calibration activities targeting specific celestial bodies like Spica, rho-Leo, and the Sun.
• Ancillary data and geometry were updated using newer SPICE kernels for improved accuracy.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the New Horizons ALICE Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph instrument during the Pluto cruise mission phase.

Time Range

Covers the Pluto Cruise mission phase, with specific activities noted for Annual CheckOuts (ACOs).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:12:25.945795; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Data collected in space during the cruise to Pluto.