Exploration of Uranus

The exploration of Uranus has only happened through telescopes and one spacecraft, NASA's Voyager 2. On January 24, 1986, Voyager 2 flew by Uranus and gave scientists their first close look at this distant planet. During its flyby, Voyager 2 discovered 10 new moons, studied the planet's cold atmosphere, and examined its ring system. The spacecraft found two new rings and took pictures of Uranus's five large moons, showing that their surfaces are covered with impact craters and canyons.

Many ideas for new missions to Uranus have been suggested, but as of April 2026, none of these missions have been chosen to fly. Scientists are still planning and hoping to learn more about this mysterious planet and its moons in the future.

Voyager 2

Main article: Voyager 2

Voyager 2 flew by Uranus on January 24, 1986, coming within 81,500 km of the planet. This was the spacecraft’s first time visiting a planet alone, since its twin sister, Voyager 1 , finished its journey at Saturn’s moon Titan.

The probe revealed many secrets about Uranus. It discovered that the planet is tilted on its side, possibly due to an ancient collision. Voyager 2 also found ten new moons, bringing the total to fifteen at that time. Among the five large moons, it saw surfaces covered with craters and deep valleys. The spacecraft studied Uranus’s rings and found two new ones, showing that the ring system might be young and different from those around Jupiter and Saturn.

Proposed missions

See also: List of missions to the outer planets

Scientists have suggested many missions to Uranus. In 2010, 120 scientists worldwide supported a mission called Uranus Pathfinder. In 2009, NASA thought about sending a solar-powered spacecraft to orbit Uranus, with a possible launch in 2018.

Other ideas include using a big rocket called the Space Launch System or an electric sail to reach Uranus. In 2015, NASA studied missions to Uranus and Neptune. Europe planned a mission called MUSE to launch in 2026 and arrive in 2044. China also plans to send a mission called Tianwen-4 to Uranus in 2045.