If you've opened a fortune cookie, you've probably read an aphorism, like this one, 'The world may be your oyster, but that doesn't mean you'll get its pearl.' In just a few words this quote tells the reader a lesson about life, that you have nearly limitless possibilities, but not all of them lead to a great reward.
The exploration of Neptune has only begun with one spacecraft, Voyager 2 in 1989. Currently there are no approved future missions to visit the Neptunian system. NASA, ESA and also independent academic groups have proposed future scientific missions to visit Neptune.
Beyond the gas giant Neptune lies a region of space filled with icy bodies. Known as the Kuiper Belt, this chilly expanse holds trillions of objects, remnants of the early solar system. Dutch astronomer Jan Oort first proposed in 1950 that some comets might come from the the solar systemâs far suburbs.wo more dwarf planets, Haumea and Makemake, were discovered in the Kuiper Belt in 2008. Because of their small size and distant location, Kuiper Belt Objects are a challenge to spot from Earth.