Prof Stephen Hawking on Pluto mission success

Stephen Hawking has congratulated the New Horizons team and Nasa following their successful mission to the dwarf planet Pluto.

The theoretical physicist and cosmologist said: "Revelations of New Horizons may help us to understand better how our solar system was formed."

A signal received from the New Horizons spacecraft showed that it had survived its historic encounter with Pluto.

Data since Tuesday's flyby suggests the spacecraft experienced no upsets as it hurtled past the icy world at 14km/s (31,000mph).