After a nine-year journey to Pluto, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is on the verge of delivering tte first up-close images of the mysterious dwarf planet.

And when those historic images arrive on Earth, they are set to star in a new hour-long special, "Direct From Pluto," premiering on the Science Channel on Wednesday, July 15, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

"Science Channel viewers will see the very first close-up images of Pluto's surface and its moons, and learn more as leading experts discuss the previous planet's status as well as uncover some surprising research," the channel described in a release shared with collectSPACE.com.

Launched on Jan. 19, 2006, New Horizons set a speed record by reaching the moon in just nine hours -- 10 times faster than any Apollo mission. Still, it took almost a decade for the piano-sized spacecraft to travel the more than 3 billion miles (5 billion kilometers) to reach Pluto, where it is set to make its closest approach on July 14, completing the initial reconnaissance of the classical solar system.

Science Channel's "Direct from Pluto" will be on site to go behind the scenes at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland, home to New Horizon's control, during the flyby, while also exploring the history of Pluto's discovery and reclassification as a dwarf planet.

"[Pluto's] rise as a planetary rock star and its decline to dwarf planet status are explored," the channel stated in its release. "Diving into fierce debates between astronomers and planetary scientists, 'Direct' will feature Pluto's biggest supporters and detractors."

In addition to being at APL for the flyby, the special filmed interviews at the Dwarf Planet Pride Day in Seattle and at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Pluto was discovered in 1930.

About

More Full Episodes

Video Clips

Shows Recommended for You