Engineers say the New Horizons spacecraft is in "great shape" for its historic flyby of Pluto this week.

Take a good look at the latest picture of Pluto because it shows the face of the dwarf planet that will not be seen during next week's historic flyby.

A spacecraft of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), New Horizons, cut off communications with Earth as it was headed toward Pluto on July 4.

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft is three months from returning to humanity the first-ever close up images and scientific observations of distant Pluto and its system of large and small moons.

The New Horizons probe, which is bearing down on Pluto, captures its first colour image of the distant dwarf planet.