this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2026
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xkcd #3310: Rejected Space Mission Profiles

Title text:

Although NASA agreed that Voyager 2 'seemed lonely' they decided against launching a companion orbiter mission after further measurements indicated that the spacecraft actually preferred the peace and quiet.

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3310/

explainxkcd for #3310

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[–] Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world 6 points 35 minutes ago (1 children)

The funniest thing about a crewed mission to Pluto, in my opinion, is that it would take something like a decade to get there. Having a living human past Pluto's orbit would be a huge achievement. Getting them back alive? More than doubly so.

[–] digdig@piefed.social 1 points 21 minutes ago (1 children)
[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 4 points 13 minutes ago (1 children)
[–] digdig@piefed.social 1 points 7 minutes ago

I don't care, Pluto deserves to be a Planet. Classification be dammed.

Maybe if we find some water on it, we can get the Orange one to visit and name the water.

[–] celeste@kbin.earth 23 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

need a voyager 2 orbiter orbiter so the orbiter doesn't get lonely when voyager 2 ignores it

[–] Klear@piefed.world 9 points 1 hour ago

Also a crewed Pluto flyby orbiter.

[–] digdig@piefed.social 0 points 23 minutes ago

Perhaps Voyager 3 as 2 happened already.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYNIsgDrIRE

Although you might need to slingshot of Jupiter and Saturn at the right time.

It amazes me how our greatest minds were able to work this out with the technology and understanding they had.