Can New Horizons probe turn back and start orbiting Pluto New Horizons probe has found astonishing features on Pluto, while the likelihood of making even greater discoveries is remote in further space. Is it possible for New Horizons probe to turn back and start orbiting Pluto? It may save much time and resources as compared to sending another probe to Pluto. Thanks for your responses.
A Pluto orbiter would have been possible, but then the entire mission would have to be designed around that. New Horizons was designed as a small fast probe that could reach Pluto relatively quickly (almost 10 years), but not be able to stop there. An orbiter would have to take a lot more fuel with it, and approach Pluto slower. Such a mission would therefore take a lot longer to reach Pluto, i.e. it could easily take double the time or more, and would be more expensive.