Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft visited Uranus in a brief flyby back in 1986.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

For sure, it was a far-reaching recommendation. The planet Uranus and its moons should be NASA’s highest priority new Flagship mission for start-up in the decade 2023-2032.

A Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) would conduct a multiyear orbital tour to yield knowledge of ice giants in general, and the Uranian system in particular, doing so through flybys and the delivery of an atmospheric probe.

Taking the plunge! Uranus exploration can be opened up by an orbiter/probe mission, a new NASA Flagship venture.
Image credit: Keck Institute for Space Studies/Chuck Carter

The payoff: “transformative, breakthrough science across a broad range of topics.”

Mark Hofstadter is a planetary scientist working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He’s not solar system shy and admits Uranus is his favorite planet.

Why is that the case? Take a read of my new Space.com story – “The yearning for Uranus: A far-out world with a tale to tell” – at:

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/the-yearning-for-uranus-a-far-out-world-with-a-tale-to-tell