Pluto Mission Revived by Planetary Society & Others

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In summary, on Sept 2, the mission was in jeopardy of being canceled, but it was later revived by the Planetary Society and others. The conversation also touches on the frustration of budget allocation for space exploration and the potential for this mission to provide valuable information about Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
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Phobos
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Looking through my old emails, I saw that on Sept 2, the mission was in jeopardy of being canceled. But the Planetary Society and others revived it.
http://www.planetary.org/html/UPDATES/Pluto/bond-mikul-thanks.html [Broken]



I may get an ulcer from this on-again-off-again mission.
 
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  • #2
Now if only 1% - no, let's not be greedy, 0.01% - of the budget devoted to manned space flight (NASA WARNING: Flying in the Shuttle KILLS!) were devoted to planetary exploration by robots ...
 
  • #3
That's great, and to think they could've scrapped even that
one when they wan'na throw away billions on stupid
and pointless programs like this Orbital Space Plane crap.

Live long and prosper.
 
  • #4
Yeah, I was pretty thrilled to hear that news, too. I'm hoping this mission will answer some questions of Pluto's composition (and maybe a few Kuiper Belt objects) to help support or refute my own model of Solar System formation.
 

1. What was the purpose of the Pluto Mission Revived by Planetary Society & Others?

The purpose of the mission was to send a spacecraft to study the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons in more detail than ever before. This would provide valuable data and insights into the formation and evolution of the outer solar system.

2. How was the mission revived?

The mission was revived through the efforts of various organizations, including the Planetary Society, which launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a new mission to Pluto. The success of this campaign, along with support from other organizations and individuals, led to the formation of a new mission team and the development of a new spacecraft.

3. What was the name of the spacecraft used in the Pluto Mission?

The spacecraft used in the Pluto Mission was named "New Horizons". It was designed and built by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and launched by NASA in 2006.

4. What were some of the major findings of the Pluto Mission?

The Pluto Mission provided a wealth of new information about the dwarf planet and its moons. Some of the major findings include evidence of a subsurface ocean on Pluto's largest moon, Charon, and the discovery of several new moons around Pluto. The spacecraft also captured stunning images of the surface of Pluto, revealing a diverse landscape with mountains, glaciers, and possible cryovolcanoes.

5. What impact did the Pluto Mission have on our understanding of the outer solar system?

The Pluto Mission significantly expanded our knowledge of the outer solar system, providing new insights into the formation and evolution of this distant region. It also sparked further interest and research in studying other dwarf planets and small bodies in the outer solar system, leading to a greater understanding of our solar system as a whole.

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