Neptune and its largest moon, Triton, could be the targets of a major space mission in the decades ahead, if a group of US researchers gets its way.

The team has put together a concept for a "mothership" and probes that would investigate the ice giant which orbits some 4.5bn km from the Sun. So far, only one spacecraft, Voyager 2, has visited Neptune - a flyby in 1989.

The concept envisions a 25-tonne spacecraft that would be powered by a nuclear fission reactor and ion propulsion system. Only this configuration would give the mission the power and flexibility to reach across the Solar System and complete its science goals.

Read more... (BBC)

neat idea. Shame it will take so long to have a look at Neptune and Triton, I might be dead before we get any data back!

If they are going drop three landers why do they not take a few more and do some more locations? After the Japanese attempt to land on the asteroid to have something is reserve would be handy on such a long project.

PH