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this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
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Why does it need saving? Googling it doesn't reveal any news?
NASA wants to shit-can it because of money issues. They want to turn it into a heliosphere probe, which NASA doesn't need; it just gives them an excuse to mothball it.
A shit ton of planetary scientists have been complaining and word got out, upsetting us space nerds everywhere. NASA doesn't want to send another probe out to the Kuiper Belt for another 20-30 years, as in we millennials will be old or dead by the time we get new Pluto pics if they get their way.
Universe Today article on the problem
Phys.org article
The petition was actually on Isaac Arthur's channel and is almost at 5000 signatures, please sign
I'm confused here. Are you implying that funding the New Horizons probe will achieve more Pluto science? Because it's long past Pluto and will never be able to study that object again.
It could study other Kupier belt objects, but never Pluto.
I think the petition's goal is to ensure NH flies off to explore other Kuiper Belt objects instead of being sent to the ass end of nowhere like NASA apparently wants to do
Thanks
Won't they need to get more funding from Congress unless they want to cut other big missions instead? Doesn't seem like NASA is at fault here, they need more money to do everything they want to.
(And cutting on SLS won't help, it's got a separate Congress mandated pile of money)
Doubtful. NASA's yearly budget is like $20-30 billion on average and mothballing New Horizons will only save them a pithy few million.
Which makes me think the money explanation is bogus. I wonder if something else is going on.
What would you rather they cut? If I'm remembering correctly I think their budget shrunk in real terms this year due to inflation while they're being asked to do more.
I'd rather Congress just give them more.
I wish the space nerds around the country were more politically active. Nonviolent pro-NASA protests in front of the Capitol when they're deciding on the budget every year would accomplish a lot more for space than just bitching on the internet.
I totally agree! It sounded from your comment you were upset with NASA, but I think we ought to be upset with Congress instead. I'm sure NASA would like to continue to mission if they had enough money.