PDS3 CERTIFIED













Instrument Description
The New Horizons instrument named Ralph is a visible/near infrared multi-spectral imager and a short wavelength infrared spectral imager. MVIC and LEISA are incorporated in RALPH, which combines panchromatic and color imaging capabilities with SWIR imaging spectroscopy. RALPH is a compact, low-mass (10.5 kg) power efficient (7.1 W peak), and robust instrument with good sensitivity and excellent imaging characteristics. Other than a door opened once in flight, it has no moving parts making it ideally suited for long-duration flyby reconnaissance mission.

Measurement Objectives
  • Pluto objectives are to map the surface geology and composition of Pluto and moons and for atmospheric studies and to map the surface temperature.
  • At Jupiter a series of observations were carried out within the constraints of calibration and shake-down activities for the Pluto mission.

The RALPH/MVIC & LEISA data are housed at the PDS/SBN node

Useful Mission Documents
For more information on the New Horizons Mission see the following:
Mission Description
Spacecraft Description
Ralph Data Set Documentation

Also see Space Sci Rev (2008) 140: 129–154, DOI 10.1007/s11214-008-9375-7. Dennis Reuter, et al., Ralph: A Visible/Infrared Imager for the New Horizons Pluto/Kuiper Belt Mission.

Archive Collections

Jupiter Flyby

Raw Data - Directory containing the EDR data files
MVIC
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS MVIC JUPITER ENCOUNTER V2.0, NH-J-MVIC-2-JUPITER-V2.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2007.”

LEISA
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS LEISA JUPITER ENCOUNTER V1.1, NH-J-LEISA-2-JUPITER-V1.1, NASA Planetary Data System, 2007.”

Calibrated Data - Directory containing the RDR data files
MVIC
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS MVIC JUPITER ENCOUNTER V2.0, NH-J-MVIC-3-JUPITER-V2.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2007."
MVIC As-flown Index – List of actual observations in order of acquisition

LEISA
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS LEISA JUPITER ENCOUNTER V1.1, NH-J-LEISA-3-JUPITER-V1.1, NASA Planetary Data System, 2007.”
LEISA As-flown Index - List of actual observations in order of acquisition

Pluto Encounter

Raw Data - Directory containing the EDR data files
MVIC
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS MVIC JUPITER ENCOUNTER V2.0, NH-J-MVIC-2-JUPITER-V2.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2007.”

LEISA
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS Raw LEISA PLUTO ENCOUNTER V3.0, NH-P-LEISA-2-PLUTO-V3.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2018."

Calibrated Data - Directory containing the RDR data files
MVIC
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS Calibrated MVIC PLUTO ENCOUNTER V3.0, NH-P-MVIC-3-PLUTO-V3.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2018."
MVIC As-flown Index

LEISA
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS Calibrated LEISA PLUTO ENCOUNTER V3.0, NH-P-LEISA-3-PLUTO-V3.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2018."
LEISA As-flown Index - List of actual observations in order of acquisition

Derived Data
Surface Composition Maps
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., New Horizons Pluto Encounter Surface Composition Data Archive, NEW HORIZONS PLUTO LEISA/MVIC COMP V1.0, NH-P/PSA-LEISA/MVIC-5-COMP-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2018."

Geology and Geophysical Maps
Citation to use when referencing this data set: "Stern, A., NEW HORIZONS Derived GEOPHYSICAL PLUTO ENCOUNTER DATA V1.0, NH-P/PSA-LORRI/MVIC-5-GEOPHYS-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2018."

Flyby of Arrokoth (Asteroid 486958)

Raw Data
Calibrated Data

Alice
MVIC
LEISA
REX
LORRI
SWAP
PEPSSI
SDC


Publications - A listing of team members to facilitate literature searches.