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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Uranus and Neptune _ New Uranus Pathfinder Proposal

Posted by: rboerner Sep 29 2014, 06:20 PM

Last month, the BBC reported that a team of scientists is working on a new Uranus mission, to be proposed to ESA by January 2015.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140822-the-mission-to-an-un-loved-planet

The report is low on detail and doesn't mention whether this would be an orbiter or flyby, though it suggests that the new proposal is a refined version of Uranus Pathfinder and would therefore be an orbiter. Does anyone have more information?

Posted by: vjkane Sep 30 2014, 05:34 AM

QUOTE (rboerner @ Sep 29 2014, 11:20 AM)

Does anyone have more information?

Check out this http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/icegiants2014/presentations/Day_3/Arridge_2029.pdf. The mission would need to done with another agency to share costs.

Posted by: Explorer1 Sep 30 2014, 06:39 AM

The 15 year transit time alone mentioned in the article indicates an orbiter; a flyby/atmospheric entry could reach Uranus much much faster.