American planetary scientist and space program manager Alan Stern has been instrumental in a number of NASA missions. The New Horizons mission, which he oversaw as principal investigator, was one of his noteworthy accomplishments. The purpose of the spacecraft New Horizons was to investigate the far reaches of our solar system, especially Pluto and the Kuiper Belt that surrounds it.

Imagine constructing a small but mighty explorer for our cosmic neighborhood's last frontier. Stern and his group did just that with New Horises. It would be equivalent to cramming a whole cutting-edge lab onto a spacecraft no larger than a grand piano. This tiny spacecraft is equipped with cutting-edge scientific tools that collaborate to collect information about far-off planets and moons, giving us previously unheard-of insights into the far reaches of space.

Stern's explanation emphasizes how technologically advanced New Horizons is in spite of its tiny size. It seems as though all of the newest technology and instruments used by scientists were reduced to a size that could be transported millions of miles from Earth. This amazing accomplishment demonstrates how creativity can result in amazing astronomical discoveries that expand our understanding of the cosmos.

A new generation of space scientists and explorers is continually motivated by Stern's work on New Horizons, which demonstrates that even modest beginnings can result in enormous accomplishments.