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user-inactivated  ·  3194 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pluto has a tail!

    why 20 years?

Way back in 2003 there was a plan for a Pluto orbiter and "hopper" lander. The trip out to Pluto was going to be 14-16 years depending on the launch window. So, 2-3 years to build the thing, then launch, then get there, then deal with the data transfer back home assuming all goes well. This is where I got the 20 years from. And if we are going to go back to Pluto, IMO, we should go to orbit and land, stay a while, and push our abilities to the limit.

Link to the idea for the mission is here but they could not get the funding, and got New Horizons pushed through instead.