NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is all set to reach its final destination, Pluto, on July 14 next year. So, exactly a year from now will end the eight and a half years of travel for the spacecraft to reach Pluto.

The New Horizons spacecraft was sent towards Pluto in January 2006. Alan Stern, the principal investigator for NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission, said the spacecraft, of the size of a baby grand piano, will arrive at Pluto on the morning of the 14th of July 2015.

The closest approach by the spacecraft will be about 6,000 miles from Pluto. "That distance was carefully calculated to ensure the sharpest images without blurring (the spacecraft is going) and to avoid getting pulled into Pluto's orbit. And 6,000 miles away is still much, much closer than we've ever been before".

Stern said the closest approach made by any spacecraft so far to Pluto is about a billion miles. Researchers will begin getting brilliant images of Pluto as the New Horizons spacecraft goes closer to Pluto. Researchers will collect much clear images of Pluto by May of 2015.

The New Horizons spacecraft was launched in the same year when Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet. However, nothing changed for Stern and he still takes Pluto as a planet.

It takes about 4.5 hours for a signal to reach earth from New Horizons. The unmanned spacecraft will be able to collect maximum data on July 14 as it is designed to go radio-silent on that particular day.

As far as condition of the New Horizons is concerned, it is really good and the spacecraft is full of fuel. The Hubble Telescope has provided the best pictures of Pluto so far, but by New Horizons will capture better images by May of next year.