Uranus Pathfinder

Uranus Pathfinder was a mission concept for the Uranian system evaluated in the 2010s by the European Space Agency.

It would have been a medium-class (M-class) mission to be launched in 2022, and was submitted to the ESA in December 2010 with the signatures of 120 scientists from around the globe.

[6] Indeed, the study noted the velocity change requirements are only marginally higher than for typical missions to Saturn of this period.

The scientific payload has a strong heritage in Europe and beyond and includes: a narrow-angle camera, visible/near-IR imaging spectrometer, thermal IR bolometer, radio science, magnetometer, radio and plasma wave detector, and plasma detector.

[8] Possible flyby/gravity assist combinations studied:[9] For power, the proposal suggests using a European radioisotope thermoelectric generator based on americium-241, with NASA's MMRTG and ASRG mentioned as possible backup options, which would provide more power.