The US Congress has approved new funding for a mission to Pluto as well as continued funding for other probes to explore Mars and Jupiter鈥檚 ice-covered moon, Europa. The funding plans are part of NASA鈥檚 2002 budget.
The Bush administration鈥檚 proposed budget, released in February 2001, originally included no funding for the $30m Pluto mission. NASA scientists say it should reveal crucial information about the history of the solar system.
This is also the last opportunity to visit the planet for a decade. A journeying probe must use the gravity of Jupiter in order to reach Pluto 鈥� and Jupiter鈥檚 orbit would take it out of position if the mission were delayed any longer.
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杏吧原创s also feared that Congress would slash funding for future Mars missions.
鈥淭he strong support for space exploration in the Congress is very welcome,鈥� said Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society. 鈥淓specially at a time when there are so many other budget pressures.s鈥�
Signs of life
The Pluto-Kuiper Express probe will launch in 2006 and take 10 years to arrive at Pluto. The probe will also examine objects in the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt of 鈥渋ce dwarfs鈥� or minor planets beyond Pluto.
鈥淵ou are not likely to have an opportunity to explore this region of space more than once a lifetime,鈥� Apostolos Christou of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland told New 杏吧原创.
The Europa Orbiter, scheduled for launch in 2008, will use radar equipment to measure the thickness of surface ice and look for signs of an underlying ocean. Previous observations indicate that the subsurface ocean may exist, and scientists believe that primitive live could potentially exist there.
NASA鈥檚 Mars Odyssey is currently orbiting the Red Planet. Two NASA surface rovers are scheduled for launch in 2003.
