WHY?

    Pluto is the last remaining planet not to be visited by spacecraft. 
It is also perhaps the most important planet to scientists hoping to 
learn about the creation of our solar system. Pluto is located right next
to the Kuiper Belt, which holds many primitive materials remaining from 
the Solar System’s formation. Because of this, Pluto may hold many clues 
to how protoplanetary disks formed from the precursor molecular cloud. 
These clues could be at least partially preserved in the ice on Pluto. 
Furthermore, Pluto’s large size and high albedo (compared to other icy 
objects) makes Pluto an "easy" study for us. The frosty surface composed 
of volatile species on Pluto is very similar to comets and to molecular 
clouds. The density of Pluto also is consistent to the value predicted 
of primitive Solar System material. Pluto’s atmosphere also presents 
scientists with an intriguing study. The atmosphere is believed to be 
dynamic and transient. This means that it will decrease in mass or 
collapse as Pluto continues to retreat from its 1989 closest approach to 
the sun, but increase again when Pluto’s orbit again brings it to 
perihelion (many years away). Scientists also believe the atmosphere is 
escaping the planet at a rapid rate, making it intermediate in stability 
between those of comets and those of larger planets. Because of all this,
scientists believe Pluto may be the key to learning how the molecular 
cloud leaped to the planetary disk.

    This is the basic extent of our knowledge of Pluto. While this is a 
lot, much remains unknown to us. We do not know how the ices are 
distributed across on Pluto’s surface, or even the shape of its surface.

    Pluto’s dark surface is composed of an unknown substance. Scientists 
believe it is organic material processed by cosmic rays or sunlight, but 
this cannot be confirmed without an in depth study. Our basic knowledge 
of Pluto is not even certain. What we believe to be true is actually only
inferred. Scientists remain clueless on the possibility of a magnetic 
field on Pluto and Pluto’s interaction with solar wind because of 
atmospheric escape and the lack of a magnetic field.

    Even less is known about Charon. Scientists believe Pluto and Charon 
may have come from the same origin because of craters and tectonics on 
both bodies. However, this cannot be confirmed without high-resolution 
images. Charon is also closer to Pluto than any other planet-moon system.
Scientists wish to study this as well.

    Recently, many objects beyond Neptune and Pluto have been discovered.
These objects have orbits in similarity to the predicted Kuiper Belt. 
Kuiper Belt objects is hypothesized to be remnants of Solar System 
formation and could possibly be clues to the birth of the planets. 
Scientists are planning, if all goes well, for a possible extension 
beyond Pluto to visit one or more of these objects.

    These questions can only be answered by a spacecraft mission that 
brings advanced instruments close to Pluto and Charon. Based on previous 
experiences of visits by spacecrafts, such as Voyager and Magellan, 
scientists hope to increase their knowledge about Pluto and Charon 
greatly through the Pluto Kuiper Express. The Pluto Kuiper Express 
responds to both emotional and political necessities in space 
exploration. Pluto sparks great interest in our minds. Our sense of 
adventure likes the concept of a mission to the Solar System's most 
distant planetary outpost. Politically, there is great enthusiasm for an 
international partnership in this venture. Many other countries have 
opened the possibility of doing additional science at Pluto and possibly 
other targets during the mission.