3 ms·
It will simply be traveling too fast, and Pluto is simply too small, for the probe to get into orbit. For them to have arranged for it to slowly catch up with
by wanderingstan 11y ago
It will simply be traveling too fast, and Pluto is simply too small, for the probe to get into orbit.
For them to have arranged for it to slowly catch up with Pluto and get into orbit, I imagine the path would have taken decades if not hundreds of years. (Assuming the fuel capacities we have to work with.)
- thret 11y agoJust getting close after 7.5 billion km is pretty impressive.
- robryan 11y agoLooks like they have gone into some detail on a potential mission like this[1], appears that it would take 17 years, at least with this particular launch window Jupiter alignment. [1] http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/doc/PRO/ACT-RPR-PRO-ISTS2004-Pluto.pdf http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/doc/PRO/ACT-RPR-PRO-ISTS2004-Plut...