IT IS time to go Pluto, the only planet we haven’t sent a spacecraft to. That’s the message from scientists who have analysed data from the tiny planet when it moved in front of a nearby star last month.
The occultation revealed that Pluto’s atmosphere may be undergoing significant changes. But unless a mission is agreed soon, and launched within five years, we will miss our only opportunity for almost two centuries to get a close-up of the whole planet.
Planetary scientists have long been pressing for a mission to Pluto, but NASA and the Bush administration have been reluctant…
