Several times during the briefing, Stern indicated how having a future mission that orbited Pluto would answer so many outstanding questions the team has. He outlined one potential mission that is in the very earliest stages of study where a spacecraft could be launched on NASA’s upcoming Space Launch System (SLS) and the spacecraft could have an RTG-powered ion engine that would allow a fast-moving spacecraft the ability to slow down and go into orbit (unlike New Horizons). This type of architecture would allow for a flight time of 7.5 years to Pluto, quicker than New Horizons’ nearly 9.5 years.
There would be some serious orbital perturbations from Charon - could a Pluto orbiter manage those?
Aren't Pluto and Charon's rotations tidally locked?Wouldn't a Charon or L -point outpost always just see the same side of Pluto?
Quote from: bkellysky on 10/19/2016 10:27 pmAren't Pluto and Charon's rotations tidally locked?Wouldn't a Charon or L -point outpost always just see the same side of Pluto?Yes, that's true. We'd miss out on the very intriguing far side of Pluto. Ideally, I think that a Pluto orbiter would want to get initially captured into a very wide orbit of Pluto, and slowly spiral inwards, so we can get a closer view of everything in the Pluto system from all sides, flybys of the moons, etc. and then later on in the mission get closer in and check out the far side of Charon and Pluto before going for a close-in orbit of Pluto.
It seems as if a spacecraft could use aerobraking to enter Pluto's orbit.
Its atmospheric density at the surface is about 10^-4 (at the season New Horizon flew by it)
Surface composition and analyzing the interior seem to be implied interest.
Quote from: redliox on 03/06/2017 03:21 amSurface composition and analyzing the interior seem to be implied interest.That's unusual! One difficulty in realising this mission is that there's probably lots of other easier orbital missions that people would prefer.
AlanStern @AlanSternIn Houston today, 35 of us-- and we're planning the NEXT mission to Pluto! #Pluto #NASA #Plutoflyby
Paul Scott Anderson @paulsandersonReplying to @Dales_Starman and 3 othersIn response to a question on Facebook, he says it's an orbiter.
So maybe somebody can chime in here and answer if my assumption is correct:I assume that any orbital mission going to Pluto is going to take longer to reach Pluto than New Horizons did. My reasoning is that New Horizons blasted up to a pretty fast velocity and then zoomed out to Pluto, with no need to slow down. But any orbiter is going to have to slow down, and it is going to have to slow down before it even gets near Pluto, so accelerate, go for a distance, then start slowing down. Instead of a 9-year flight time, it's going to be more, maybe 50% more?Does that sound reasonable?I would also guess that they might want some kind of solar electric propulsion system, with RTG-electric for deceleration and orbital insertion.