Pluto Mission a Go! The U.S. Congress has approved funding for the 'New Horizons' mission to send a probe to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Space.com has the story here. NASA had actually fought the idea, but Congress approved the money anyway. By that time the probe arrives (12 years after liftoff) most of the Plutonian (sic?) atmosphere would have frozen, but the opportunity to see close up the largest member of the Kuiper belt is too attractive to resist.