# The Pluto Mission **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2000, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371 "2000-11-02T08:32:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/1 "2000-11-02T08:32:27Z")
A friend just sent me a link to a website ([www.plutomission.com](http://www.plutomission.com)) that claims that NASA was planning a mission to Pluto in 2004, but it was canceled in September 2000. It also says if we don’t go to Puto right away, the atmosphere will freeze over for 200 years and a chance for research will be lost. Is this for real? ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/2 "2000-11-02T08:36:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pezwookiee \* > \*\*Is this for real? \*\* Yes. ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/3 "2000-11-02T14:16:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pezwookiee \* > \*\*It also says if we don’t go to Puto right away, the > atmosphere will freeze over for 200 years and a chance for research will be lost. Is this for real? \*\* What?! The atmosphere is going to freeze over for 200 years, and you’re worried about _research_ time being lost?! Man, the end of all human life is approaching and all people can think of is work, work, work… And what’s the connection with Pluto? Is this some kind of cosmic punishment for us not doing our homework or something? ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/4 "2000-11-02T14:48:23Z")
**dylan\_73** : > [@](#): > > What?! The atmosphere is going to freeze over for 200 years, and you’re worried about _research_ time being lost?! **Pluto** ’s atmosphere will freeze, you dork! It’s at a point in its orbit where it’s close enough to the sun to have a thin atmosphere (we know this through spectroscopy, I suppose). But it’s heading out toward its aphelion right now, and within a few years it will cool to the point that its atmosphere will freeze and fall to the surface. So if we want to study the components of its atmosphere up close, we need to get out there relatively soon. **pezwookiee** , you do understand this is a robotic mission, like the two Voyager craft or Cassini, right? There’s a tone of incredulity in the OP that makes me wonder if you thought this was a manned mission. A manned mission to Pluto is currently well beyond human capability. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/5 "2000-11-02T15:53:42Z")
I think I saw a news blurb somewhere that there was talk of this mission getting ressurrected. Is there any truth to that? ---
**Author:** ![big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@big\_yellow\_kingswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/big_yellow_kingswood)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/6 "2000-11-02T15:55:51Z")
If we even make it to pluto in the next 200 years it’ll be a freakin’ miracle. The moon again, sure. Mars, a probability. Venus or Mercury, I doubt it. Pluto?? Don’t make me laugh. That having been said: To All those reading this on Alpha Centuri Prime in the year 2200, G’day. I guess I was wrong. Bite me - I’ve probably been dead for 150 years… ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/7 "2000-11-02T15:59:51Z")
> [@](#): > > What?! The atmosphere is going to freeze over for 200 years, and you’re worried about research time being lost?! > > Man, the end of all human life is approaching and all people can think of is work, work, work… > > And what’s the connection with Pluto? Is this some kind of cosmic punishment for us not doing our homework or something? "What do you mean, you’ve never been to Pluto? For heaven’s sake, mankind, it’s only 30 A.U. away, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs that’s your own lookout. "Energize the atmospheric freezing beams. “I don’t know, apathetic bloody planet, I’ve no sympathy at all.” (with apologies to Douglas Adams) ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/8 "2000-11-02T16:36:20Z")
As usual, we are busy studying [caffeinated chewing gum](http://www.nownyc.org/news/newsjanfeb99/eeoc.htm) and the like. You know the line: “we need to take care of our problems here on earth.” That’s why we’re spending a million bucks on peanut quality research instead of exploring the outer reaches of the solar system. According to the archives of [http://www.space.com](http://www.space.com) , the program was [endangered](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/pluto_mission_000910_2.html) by underfunding, then [deferred](http://www.space.com/news/spaceagencies/pluto_deferred_000913.html) by NASA. But [lobbyists](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/save_pluto_protest_001017_wg.html) are still at work to try to save the mission. My experience tells me they won’t succeed, but we can always hope. In a classic understatement worthy of note, a NASA official said that the project “is greatly deferred, not canceled.” Nice one, Ed. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/9 "2000-11-02T18:12:54Z")
I don’t have anything to add except that I’m in favor of the mission and would welcome any visitors who arrive any time, whether or not my atmosphere is frozen. Thank you for your consideration. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/10 "2000-11-02T18:57:08Z")
Don’t you think you should talk to Charon before inviting a bunch of you SD friends over? Hmmmm? ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/11 "2000-11-02T19:38:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sofa King \* > \*\* > But [lobbyists](http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/missions/save_pluto_protest_001017_wg.html) are still at work to try to save the mission. My experience tells me they won’t succeed, but we can always hope. > > \*\* Here’s the lobbyist-group-in-question’s website about the subject matter. [http://www.planetary.org/html/news/articlearchive/headlines/2000/savepluto.html](http://www.planetary.org/html/news/articlearchive/headlines/2000/savepluto.html) Let’s send a craft to Pluto!!! ---
**Author:** ![dylan\_73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dylan\_73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dylan_73)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/12 "2000-11-03T10:40:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Five \* > \*\* > > **Pluto** ’s atmosphere will freeze, you dork! It’s at a point in its orbit where it’s close enough to the sun to have a thin atmosphere (we know this through spectroscopy, I suppose). But it’s heading out toward its aphelion right now, and within a few years it will cool to the point that its atmosphere will freeze and fall to the surface.\*\* Thanks for the extra info. I hoped someone might elaborate a bit on **Lance Turbo** ’s “Yes”. Oh, and I’m sure I didn’t need to put a smiley in there for you to know I was joking, did I? ---
**Author:** ![Justme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@Justme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justme)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/13 "2000-11-03T11:44:08Z")
I’m still waiting for us to catch up to the movie ‘2001,’ but I don’t think we’ll make it. Perhaps in another 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pluto-mission/39371/14 "2000-11-03T14:20:04Z")
**dylan\_73** : > [@](#): > > Oh, and I’m sure I didn’t need to put a smiley in there for you to know I was joking, did I? I’d have used a stronger word than “dork” if I hadn’t known you were joking.