Researchers have shared a radical new idea for how to put a spacecraft in orbit around Neptune: Use the thin atmosphere of Triton, Neptune's largest moon, to capture it.

Second, Triton is one of the irregular moons. It orbits backward relative to Neptune's spin, and its orbit is inclined at a stunning 67 degrees — almost perpendicular to its parent planet.

Long ago, as it sank from a higher orbit, Triton passed close to Nereid. The smaller moon, buffeted by Triton’s more powerful gravity, may have been hurled into the elliptical orbit it now follows.

TUNE, the orbiter, will be placed into a trajectory allowing it to orbit Neptune 600 times while using Triton to course-correct during its 40 flybys of the smaller moon.

Triton isn’t just any moon – it’s one of the most mysterious objects in the entire solar system. In this video, we explore what makes Neptune’s largest moon so strange, from its backward orbit and icy ...

The chemical composition of Pluto and Triton suggests they originated in the same region of the outer solar system before the latter was pulled into Neptune’s orbit ...

The system can gather reflected signals in low-Earth orbit from US-owned GPS satellites, aid in ocean-atmospheric interchange research and estimate the strength of typhoons. Triton’s launch would help ...

Chinese scientists propose 2033 Neptune orbiter mission Scientists are proposing China’s first ice giant mission, aiming to ...

Vice Adm. Craig Clapperton, the Navy’s leader of Fleet Cyber Command, told attendees at the West conference in San Diego the Triton’s signals and geospatial intelligence capabilities are of particular ...

“With the launch of Triton-X on Vigoride, LuxSpace is proudly validating in-orbit the ground-breaking capabilities of the main technologies of our Triton-X product line,” said LuxSpace Chief ...

With Triton's impeccable performance in orbit, all eyes are now on Taiwan's ambitious plans for its next meteorological satellite and the nation's strides toward self-sufficiency in satellite ...

Second, Triton is one of the irregular moons. It orbits backward relative to Neptune's spin, and its orbit is inclined at a stunning 67 degrees — almost perpendicular to its parent planet.