Nasa's Unexplained Files

Experts are probing a mysterious object encountered by the New Horizons spacecraft during its journey through the outer Solar System. The encounter caused the probe’s computers to shut down. The investigation seeks to understand the nature of this unknown object.

Pluto’s Evil Twin is an episode‑length programme that falls squarely within the science‑focused genre. It presents itself as a self‑contained instalment, rather than a full series, and its title hints at the uncanny subject matter it will explore. The core of the episode follows a team of specialists as they probe a baffling object that the New Horizons spacecraft happened to encounter. This mysterious body is identified as the trigger for an unexpected shutdown of the probe’s computer systems, prompting the experts to piece together what went wrong. Throughout the broadcast, the investigation centres on the object's unknown characteristics and the direct impact it had on the spacecraft’s electronics. The experts scrutinise the limited data returned before the failure, attempting to discern whether the object’s composition, trajectory or some other factor caused the abrupt loss of functionality. By the conclusion, the programme has laid out the sequence of events that led from the encounter to the computer failure, offering viewers a clear picture of the investigative process. It wraps up without venturing beyond the facts at hand, leaving the mystery of the object itself open for future inquiry.