Onwards to Uranus and Neptune! Options

[SFJCody]

As soon as MESSENGER gets to Mercury, the most poorly explored planets in the solar system will be Uranus and Neptune. Could this lead to a revival of interest in the ice giants and their retinue, in the same way that the existence of New Horizons is perhaps partly due to the Pluto stamp*?







*via Pluto Fast Flyby and later Pluto Kuiper Express

[nprev]

Uh...say what?! We haven't launched a Galileo follow-up, which would be easy compared to Uranus/Neptune recon mission(s) (to say nothing of orbiters, the technical hurdles of which have been extensively discussed). We are extremely lucky that Voyager 2 did succeed, else I suspect that none of us now living would have ever seen these planets up close in any respect.

Think I know what you mean, but frankly it seems that you're overestimating the impetus for doing such missions. Remember that there was actually a serious proposal floated to turn off Voyager 2 while it was enroute to Uranus as a cost-cutting measure; thank God it didn't happen.

[Gladstoner]

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[nprev]

And the bean counter who considered switching off Voyager 2 before Uranus..... I hope he is now wrapping burrito supremes at Taco Bell.

No argument there! Still, the fact of the matter is that Uranus & Neptune are really off the radar screen right now, and have been for a considerable period of time. I don't like it either, but it is what it is. NH took advantage of an excellent launch opportunity to get to Pluto within a reasonable time to complete the initial recon of the major objects in the Solar System (Note: NO planet/ain't a planet comments welcomed!!! I'm serious! Uh, would be remiss without mentioning Dawn as part of this effort as well), and I think that the vibe is to wait on Uranus & Neptune until a viable means to undertake a Cassini-style mission to each of them becomes available.

[Mark6]

No argument there! Still, the fact of the matter is that Uranus & Neptune are really off the radar screen right now, and have been for a considerable period of time. I don't like it either, but it is what it is. NH took advantage of an excellent launch opportunity to get to Pluto within a reasonable time to complete the initial recon of the major objects in the Solar System (Note: NO planet/ain't a planet comments welcomed!!! I'm serious! Uh, would be remiss without mentioning Dawn as part of this effort as well

By that logic a flyby of Eris & Dysnomia should take priority over Uranus or Neptune. After Dawn and New Horizon reach their targets, Eris is the only "major object" left unexamined.

[JRehling]

[...]

[Mark6]

Eris would be a good target, but loses out big-time in terms of the cruise time needed to get there. What's more, I bet you a soda-pop that before the craft got there, Eris will be down the list of largest remaining unexplored objects.

I would not take this bet. My previous post was only semi-serious.