New research mission in Pluto

2001/11/09 Araolaza, Oier - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Astronautika

The U.S. Congress has approved the initiative to send the probe to Pluto. The Bush administration left the Pluto research project unsubsidized, but now Congress has approved a $30 million grant for the Pluto-Kuiper Belt mission. The money will go to the preparation of the space, the development of the necessary equipment and the launch. NASA will immediately begin forming the mission task force.

Pluto is the only planet in our system that remains unexplored. Pluto Kuiper Belt is underway, but the obstacles Bush has imposed have delayed the mission. The launch of the probe to Pluto will be difficult before 2006, which means a delay of two years compared to the initial forecasts. In this decade, the last chance of space to reach Pluto taking advantage of the gravity of Jupiter occurs in 2006. The mission lasts between 10 and 12 years.

The Pluton-Kuiper Belt mission aims to gather information about this mysterious planet. Pluto, besides being the last planet of the Solar System, is the smallest, with 2,200 kilometers in diameter. The Planetary Society has made a great effort to convince congressmen of the importance of Pluto's investigation and has finally succeeded, despite opposition from the Bush administration.