Nasa has been urged to probe Uranus

We don’t know if scientists will find anything exciting there, but the American space agency Nasa has nonetheless been encouraged to investigate Uranus over the next decade.

Titled Origins, Worlds and Life: A Decadal Strategy for Planetary Science and Astrology, the book says “the highest priority new flagship mission” for 2023 to 2032 is “the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission”.

Yes, we are giggling. Yes, we are childish.

In a chapter setting out its “recommended program” for the upcoming period, the authors write: “The highest priority new Flagship mission for the decade 2023-2032 is the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission.

“Uranus itself is one of the most intriguing bodies in the solar system: an extreme axial tilt; low internal energy; high speed winds and active atmospheric dynamics; and complex magnetic field all present major puzzles.”

Yeah, you bet Uranus has “high-speed winds”…

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They add: “Uranus's large ice-rock satellites represent potential ocean worlds that could have astrobiological importance … Detailed study of an ice giant system will provide vital ground-truth to exoplanetary science.”

According to the authors, the aforementioned mission will “deliver an in situ probe into Uranus’ atmosphere”.

Could be gassy.

We would apologise for the low journalistic standards we have sunk to in this article, but looking at Twitter, it seems others were cracking similar jokes:

We seriously think Nasa should accept the recommendations – no ifs, no butts.

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