Pluto's small satellites in the context of the Kuiper Belt

Abstract:

New Horizons is now beyond Pluto and flying deeper into the Kuiper Belt. The small satellites in the Pluto system are the closest analogues to typical Kuiper Belt Objects yet observed at close-range by the spacecraft, and we will review these observations in the greater context of the Kuiper Belt and as they pertain to New Horizons' exploration of a similarly-sized classical Kuiper Belt target in late 2018 or early 2019. Finally, we will summarize the current state-of-knowledge regarding the potential long-range and close-range Kuiper Belt targets.