New Horizons was a good case in point, as it took over 9 years to reach Pluto and Charon, whizzing by at 13.8 km per second, with only a hectic flyby period of exploration possible. The problem with outer solar system exploration is, you want a spacecraft moving fast enough to reach its intended destination in a decade or so - but too much speed makes slowing down to enter orbit out of the question. Road Trip to the Outer Solar Systemīut it'll be a long haul, for sure. An Ice Giant Orbiter would, like Cassini, hang out and explore Uranus or Neptune long term. But those visits were fleeting, giving planetary scientists brief glimpses of these distant worlds and moons as Voyager 2 headed out of the solar system. To date, only one spacecraft has visited the two outermost planets during its 'grand tour' of the outer solar system: Voyager 2, which flew past Uranus in 1986 and Neptune in 1989. 'Once is received by NASA, which should occur in 2022, NASA will begin considering which priorities it will pursue and how it will go about implementing them.' 'This study was one of many that will be performed to support the upcoming Decadal Survey deliberations,' says Curt Niebur (NASA-HQ). The last Decadal Survey, published by the National Research Council's Space Studies Board, covered opportunities from 2013 through 2022 and offered detailed development studies for the Mars 2020 rover and Europa Clipper missions, though a dedicated Uranus orbiter was in the running as a distant third possibility. The study is part of a lead up to the next Decadal Survey for 2022–32, a time when planetary scientists prioritize their wish list of future missions. NASA recently released a study outlining just how such a mission (or missions) might unfold. What's next for planetary exploration? Some researchers are pushing the next logical step: dedicated orbiters for either or both of the 'ice giant' outer planets, Uranus and Neptune.

Later this year, Cassini will follow suit, ending a decade and a half exploring Saturn and its moons. In 2003, NASA's Galileo mission came to an end by plunging into the atmosphere of Jupiter. But Neptune displayed numerous bright and dark cloud patterns, including a hurricane-like featured dubbed the Great Dark Spot. Uranus, spinning on its side, had a nearly featureless disk. The outer solar system's 'twin' planets looked very different when visited by Voyager 2 during the 1980s. Some of the other exploratory programs include missions to Saturn, Mars and Venus.A recent NASA study outlines possible dedicated missions to the 'ice giant' planets Uranus and Neptune. The report also includes a discussion on the importance of diversity, equity, inclusivity and accessibility to the success of planetary science, a call to enhance planetary defenses against near-Earth objects - like comets and asteroids - and other exploring and discovery programs. 'This report sets out an ambitious but practicable vision for advancing the frontiers of planetary science, astrobiology, and planetary defense in the next decade,' said Robin Canup, assistant vice president of the Planetary Sciences Directorate at the Southwest Research Institute, and co-chair of the National Academies' steering committee for this survey. The mission would include a craft landing on the moon. The report also outlines another high-priority mission to search for evidence of life on Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons. The new report says a launch for this mission within the next decade is viable with current launch vehicles. Other missions have been proposed since then, but none have been approved.

The last spacecraft to pass Uranus was Voyager 2 in 1986. The proposed mission is called the Uranus Orbiter and Probe and would shed some light on the mostly unexplored ice giant. Yes, I laughed when I read the report, too. A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine this week said a probe of Uranus should be the highest priority.

Nasa uranus orbiter and probe