Most distant bistatic radar experiment
- Who
- New Horizons
- What
- 33 astronomical unit(s)
- Where
- Not Applicable
- When
- 14 July 2015
On 14 July 2015, just after New Horizons’ closest approach to Pluto, a radar signal from NASA’s Deep Space Network on Earth, was sent in the direction of Pluto. Part of this signal was reflected from Pluto and detected by the REX radar experiment on board the spacecraft. The technique, known as bistatic radar, can reveal some surface properties of planetary bodies. New Horizons was 33 AU from Earth during this successful experiment.
Unless this experiment is repeated on 1 January 2019 by New Horizons' encounter with Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69, this record is likely to stand for decades.