Where were you when you first saw Pluto? The New Horizons flyby back in the summer of 2015 had all eyes on the deep spacecraft exploring the outermost parts of our solar system.

New Horizons launched in 2006 but it was years in the making, and it wasn’t easy getting managers and administrators on board with the idea of exploring Pluto.

“Chasing New Horizons: Inside the Epic First Mission to Pluto” is a new book out this week that chronicles the triumphs and challenges of the mission that’s now past Pluto and on it’s way to it’s next flyby: Ultima Thule, an object 43 AU or 4 billion miles away.

Dr. Alan Stern is the Principle Investigator on New Horizons..and the co-author of the book. He joins the podcast to talk about the mission and the decades long path to reach Pluto.