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A mission to send a spacecraft covering a distance of 20 astronomical units[*] per year could be used to explore interesting targets in the Kuiper belt:
The proposed interstellar probe itself is a suggestion that's been kicking around for a while now. The idea is that the team could use existing and near-term technology, and rely on speed boosted by a sequence of gravity assists, to send a spacecraft racing across the solar system faster than any vessel to date.
[...] Once instruments are set, it's a matter of picking a dream destination — or several. [Kathleen Mandt, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory,] and other team members have studied how potential targets will align, assuming the probe could launch by 2030 as desired. That means looking at a whole host of Kuiper Belt objects found beyond Neptune's orbit.
Take, for example, Quaoar, a Kuiper Belt object that's about half as wide as Pluto. Scientists have spotted the signature of methane on this object's surface, which could mean it still clings to a thin atmosphere. But scientists aren't sure how much Quaoar resembles its larger, more famous cousin.
And Quaoar is just one potential large target. "I would love to do a flyby of Eris, because it's similar in size to Pluto but farther out in the solar system," Mandt said. In particular, she would want to pursue planetology, investigating how Eris matches or differs from Pluto. She'd want to be able to answer questions like whether Eris has an atmosphere and what volatile elements are still at its surface, if any, she said.
Other possible destinations from this class of objects include Makemake, which has its own moon and is outshined in the Kuiper Belt only by Pluto, and Haumea, a football-shaped dwarf planet. For all of these worlds, a zippy flyby could tell scientists about the object's surface composition and geology, as well as whether the surfaces hides oceans.
[*] Wikipedia's Astronomical Unit page notes it was originally defined as the average distance of the Earth from the Sun. It works out to being approximately 150 million km or 93 million miles. A craft travelling at 20 au per year would, therefore, be travelling at: (20 au)*(150e6 km/au)/((365 days)*(24 hours/day)) which reduces to over 340,000 kph (200,000 mph). By comparison, the average lunar distance is nearly 390,000 km (240,000 miles). Assuming instantaneous acceleration and deceleration, a trip to the moon at that speed would take about 72 minutes!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Tuesday January 08 2019, @08:42AM (16 children)
Today:
"Fast-Moving Spacecraft Could be..."
"Google Assistant Could be ..."
I feel like, in average, there's at least one 'could' effing title per day on S/N.
Dam' you! I'm still waiting for my Jetsons-like flying car, you hear me?
Missing that, strong AI or controlled fusion will do. Eh, both of them could be a reality in 20 years. Since, like, forever.
I so wish they'd stop selling the perpetually-moving-target potential and start deliver on some promises. The more I hear those 'could's, the more convinced I am the 'translation' is actually 'Bullshit, it won't happen, but we needed to write about something'
But now, that's me... and I could be wrong.
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 08 2019, @08:53AM (9 children)
Ah, yes, brace for two more 'could' titles in the pending stories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 08 2019, @10:17AM (8 children)
While I very much share your general criticism (I'm f***ing sick of these clickbait wordings!!!), I'm a friend of the constructive variant.
So, @Editors, to help you think up less clickbaity ideas, how about in this case: "Fast-Moving Spacecraft Proposed to Study a Kuiper Belt Object"
Same message. But factual. Much less "CLICKME!!!CLICKMEEEEE!!!". Much more "Wow! Interesting! Let's read!" among Soylentils.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday January 08 2019, @02:47PM (7 children)
"Could" is not clickbait. It's more like the opposite of clickbait. I have no plans to stop submitting headlines with "could", "may", etc. in them.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 08 2019, @04:07PM (6 children)
Yes master, we bow to your steely-eyed doubleplusgood steadfastness.
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Tuesday January 08 2019, @04:25PM (5 children)
Good, work that tongue.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 08 2019, @05:22PM (4 children)
Considering your resounding NO! a few posts up, that seems like the only avenue left to a powerless AC.
That, or simply shutting up in meek acceptance. But I'd rather work my tongue than offer my ass.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday January 08 2019, @05:38PM (2 children)
I didn't post the submission, I just submitted it. You can take up the use of "could" with the editor, because I don't care about that pedantic nonsense.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 08 2019, @05:58PM (1 child)
That, dear sir, is *exactly* what had already been done in the first comment that you found it neccessary to reply to. Scroll up and reread comment #78603, if you will, which is very explicitly addressed at the editors. Isn't it?
PS: sorry for pedantically annoying you once more
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 08 2019, @06:00PM
Of course. I out-pedanted myself by getting the comment ID wrong. You'll find it anyway, you're a smart guy.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday January 08 2019, @06:32PM
> I'd rather work my tongue than offer my ass.
Some silly designer went and put all kind of sensory organs all over my head.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Tuesday January 08 2019, @11:00AM
"Could" is so much easier than "Does". Year by year, it seems like "Does" is getting harder, because it's all been "Done"
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday January 08 2019, @02:31PM (1 child)
Could This Be c0lo's Biggest Boo-Hoo Moment of January 8th, 2019?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 08 2019, @11:26PM
I see your poke and raise a Betteridge's law.
Careful with question marks
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Freeman on Tuesday January 08 2019, @04:27PM
Applicable xkcd https://www.xkcd.com/678/ [xkcd.com] Sometimes, you just need to know how to translate.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 08 2019, @05:19PM (1 child)
Well, you could submit stories that meet your sans-could requirements.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday January 08 2019, @11:21PM
Is this a title? 'cause... translation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford