Exploration of Uranus

A color photograph of Uranus, taken by Voyager 2 in 1986 as it headed towards the planet Neptune

The exploration of Uranus has, to date, been through telescopes and a lone probe by NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft, which made its closest approach to Uranus on January 24, 1986. Voyager 2 discovered 10 moons, studied the planet's cold atmosphere, and examined its ring system, discovering two new rings. It also imaged Uranus' five large moons, revealing that their surfaces are covered with impact craters and canyons.

A number of dedicated exploratory missions to Uranus have been proposed,[1][2] but as of 2023 none have been approved.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Revisiting the ice giants: NASA study considers Uranus and Neptune missions". Planetary Society. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Ice Giant Mission Study Final Report". NASA / Lunar and Planetary Institute. June 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Uran1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Uran2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).