Exploring Uranus

Interest is building in the planetary science community in a mission to study Uranus, its faint rings, and its at least 27 moons. The ice giant is indeed an interesting place. It "rolls" around its orbit, perhaps having been knocked off-kilter by a titanic collision. Its magnetic field is displaced from the planet's rotational axis by 60 degrees. The internal structure seems more complex than what exists in other planets. The ring system of Uranus is clearly markedly different than the ring system of Saturn-- studying both could yield insights into the physics of ring formation. Uranus' moons are also varied and complex.

All that, unfortunately, is set against the cost of an orbiter mission-- something perhaps in the $2 billion range-- at a time of tight and declining space budgets due to enormous government deficit and debt. A mission to Uranus is unlikely to fly soon, but scientists in both the United States and Europe continue to push for one.