NASA's New Horizons space probe has crossed into the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, well on its way towards a Pluto rendezvous. It will stay this course from now until some time in August. Debris in the asteroid belt is so spread out that the chances of the spacecraft hitting one are much smaller than one in a billion. Analysis of the onboard systems show all the instruments are in proper working order so far. In the past, NASA has often chosen rather dull monikers for their spacecraft instruments. However, the four main payloads for New Horizons are cleverly named Ralph, Alice, LORRI and PEPSSI. Check out the New Horizons website for more detailed explanations of the spacecraft and its instruments. The New Horizons flight will reach Pluto in July, 2015.

Image Credit: NASA/Goddard Spaceflight Center