- snitzoid
NASA to fly to ...I can't say it.
NASA Eyes Ice Giant
1440 News
One of NASA's next major missions may focus on sending a dedicated craft to study Uranus, a $4B endeavor that would provide the first up-close view of a so-called "ice giant." The news followed the release of a highly influential, once-in-a-decade report by a scientific panel generally viewed as a prioritization list for the agency. The mission would launch early next decade and take roughly 13 years to reach its target.
The seventh planet from the sun, Uranus has only been studied once—Voyager 2 made a brief flyby in 1986. A dedicated orbital probe would provide scientists insight into the Uranian atmosphere, while filling in gaps in the understanding of how medium-size planets form. Check out this interactive overview of Earth's icy distant neighbor.
Other priorities included studying the interior ocean of Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, for signs of life.